Pregnant visitors to NZ not allowed to stay and give birth

**PrincessBandit** · 9th June 2009, 15:24

I see again the issue of heavily pregnant visitors to NZ being brought to our attention in the media. One has been allowed to stay as any travel could be injurious to the baby's health (a Lithuanian woman, heavily pregnant); another, a Korean woman has been told to leave.

What is it with heavily pregnant women coming to NZ if not for the possibility of being able to give birth here and therefore claim citizenship for their kids? Obviously there will always be unforeseen situations where a pregnancy might result in premature delivery in a foreign country, but to travel overseas once "heavily" pregnant (implying that you are most likely in the last trimester, or due to drop your bundle soon) makes me wonder about motives.

The health system seems to struggle with providing sufficient resources for NZ women to enjoy adequate birth care (I remember being "asked" to leave the hospital, nicely I might add, the day after giving birth to my son due to more pregnant ladies arriving, and him being my second child).

What makes it so appealing for women to come here and use our burdened hospital facilities when they should be giving birth in their own countries? The same could be said for any number of medical issues - foreigners coming to take advantage of our health system here in the hope that they'll get better care than in their own country. Yet we hardly have an ideal system even to provide for our own population.

Grrrrr.

**Katman** · 9th June 2009, 15:29

Originally Posted by PrincessBandit

(I remember being "asked" to leave the hospital, nicely I might add, the day after giving birth to my son due to more pregnant ladies arriving, and him being my second child).

I'd have asked you to make sure my dinner was on the table that night.

**Mikkel** · 9th June 2009, 15:33

Originally Posted by PrincessBandit

What makes it so appealing for women to come here and use our burdened hospital facilities when they should be giving birth in their own countries? The same could be said for any number of medical issues - foreigners coming to take advantage of our health system here in the hope that they'll get better care than in their own country.

I suppose some people are just masochists.

**firefighter** · 9th June 2009, 15:34

It's purely for citizenship..........

Like the south americans do to the U.S.

**MsKABC** · 9th June 2009, 15:38

I don't think being born in NZ is any guarantee of citizenship these days.

**Finn** · 9th June 2009, 15:47

Originally Posted by MsKABC

I don't think being born in NZ is any guarantee of citizenship these days.

I'm still waiting to be deported.

**MsKABC** · 9th June 2009, 15:49

Originally Posted by Finn

I'm still waiting to be deported.

Well, all we can do is hope and pray

**slofox** · 9th June 2009, 15:51

Originally Posted by Katman

I'd have asked you to make sure my dinner was on the table that night.

...and you'd probably have ended up wearing said dinner...

**mynameis** · 9th June 2009, 15:53

Originally Posted by firefighter

It's purely for citizenship..........

Wrong, laws have been changed now, people used to do that 10-15 years ago then their entire extended family became NZ citizens. Not any more.

Question is why has she been travelling when she's been "heavily" pregnant?

**johan** · 9th June 2009, 15:55

A newborn doesn't automatically become a NZ citizen just because they are born here. The laws changed 2006.

http://www.citizenship.govt.nz/diawe...s?OpenDocument

**firefighter** · 9th June 2009, 16:02

Originally Posted by mynameis

Wrong, laws have been changed now, people used to do that 10-15 years ago then their entire extended family became NZ citizens. Not any more.

Question is why has she been travelling when she's been "heavily" pregnant?

Maybe she was unaware of NZ's laws pertaining to this and expected citizenship?