'Birth tourism' faces stricter rules  

(ECNS)— Many pregnant Chinese women hoping to give birth in the US are now allowed to stay only for several weeks or even barred from entering America as US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) imposed stricter entry requirements on "birth tourists," World Journal (US) reported on Tuesday.

In the past, pregnant women were allowed to arrive three to four months ahead of their delivery at "maternity hotels," where Asian women give birth and stay for one month.

But now, it seems more difficult for pregnant women to give births in the US as many face being deported or even barred from entering American soil.

Many illegal "maternity hotels" were forced to shut down by authorities, making the pregnant women staying at these hotels more worried and scared.

For pregnant women, early arrival also means extra spending. Arriving on American soil two months ahead of delivery can mean an extra spending of $10,000.

In addition, time cost is another consideration.

"Apart from the hardship of traveling all the way across the ocean during pregnancy, I also had to bear the loneliness of being far away from my husband and waiting for my delivery date on foreign land," said Amy, a mother who gave birth to her daughter in the US in 2011.

A man surnamed Gao, from southwest China, flew to Los Angeles with his pregnant wife last August. After his wife gave birth to their child last November, they were urged by family members to return to China shortly after Thanksgiving Day as they were afaid of being caught to have given birth at a maternity hotel.