Senior Hong Kong officials had hinted for some time that they would seek to end the trend of Chinese women suspected of coming to Hong Kong to give birth.
Through October of 2006, nearly 13,000 non-resident mothers – the majority Chinese – had given birth on Hong Kong soil, representing a huge jump since 2001.
Women from the mainland had been drawn to the island because of its public health care system, its freedom from China’s “one child” policy, and in the hopes of securing the right to live in Hong Kong – infants born in the territory are granted residency rights.
In January, border officials said they would begin denying Chinese women who are more than six months pregnant entry, unless they had already booked a Hong Kong hospital room. Pregnant women from other countries are not subject to the new regulations.
