Russian Women Flock to Argentina to Give Birth
By Silvina Frydlewsky and Juan Forero, Feb. 26, 2023, WSJ
BUENOS AIRES—Thousands of pregnant Russian women and their partners have been migrating to Argentina since President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, inspired by the hope of building new lives far from his autocratic and increasingly
isolated nation.
The chance to begin anew over 8,000 miles away from Russia has led more than 22,000 mostly middle- and upper-class Russians to make the circuitous journey to this capital city since January 2022, according to Argentine government migration figures.
Officials here say the women have been arriving in growing numbers and giving birth, which bestows immediate citizenship on newborns as well as temporary residency and work permits for their parents.
“My daughter will be born here, and she will be Argentine,” said Polina Schteiner, a 31-year-old from Moscow. She and her husband moved to Bangkok in May and then looked at Mexico and Brazil before settling on Buenos Aires. Arriving with their 2-year-
old son, the couple is expecting a baby any day now.
“It’s a ticket for the whole family to be safe from the government in Russia,” she said, referring to Moscow’s increasing crackdown on dissent.
Argentine migration data show that as of mid-February, nearly 11,000 Russian women and about 11,400 men have arrived here since the beginning of 2022. There is no precise data on how many of the Russian women were pregnant, though Argentine migration and
hospital officials say increasing numbers are arriving in the third trimester of pregnancy. Russians don’t need a visa to enter Argentina.
With the temporary residency, parents can begin the process to gain citizenship, migration authorities say. An Argentine passport can be obtained in as little as two years, immigration lawyers and migration officials say, and gives the holder the ability
to travel visa-free to Europe, which Russians can’t do.
“You wait only two years for the whole family to get a passport, it’s crazy,” said Asya Davydova, 40, who arrived in December with her then-boyfriend and is expecting a baby in May. “We chose Argentina because it was the easiest country for my
baby to get another passport. When we got here, we dropped plans to return to Russia or go to another country.”
Ms. Davydova and other new arrivals say they feel welcomed. Argentina has historically been a destination for emigrants from Europe and more recently from Bolivia, Paraguay and Venezuela.
Since the war started, hundreds of thousands of Russians, many of them young professionals, have fled to neighboring nations and distant continents. In Argentina, Florencia Carignano, director of migration for the government, told a group of foreign
reporters in a recorded briefing that many new arrivals are women in advanced stages of pregnancy.
“You can see it in the flights that have been coming. More and more pregnant Russians arriving,” she said. In January, more than 4,500 Russians arrived in Argentina, compared with just over 1,000 in the same year-earlier month.
Many take the daily Ethiopian Airlines flight that originates in Moscow, stopping in Addis Ababa and São Paulo before landing in Buenos Aires—considered a relatively inexpensive route at around $2,500. They usually buy a round-trip ticket but don’t
use the return.
On Feb. 9, 33 young Russians in advanced stages of pregnancy arrived on that flight, Ms. Carignano told a local radio station. Two days later, another 83 passengers, 16 of them pregnant Russian women, arrived via the same route, she said.
The Russian Embassy in Argentina didn’t respond to requests for comment.
One couple in their 30s arrived earlier this month and expect a baby in April. The two said they didn’t want to raise a child in Russia, but being in Argentina hasn’t been easy. They don’t speak Spanish, and they have been living in an Airbnb
rental. The muggy heat of Buenos Aires this time of year was also a shock.
“I cried because I wasn’t just leaving the country, but leaving my old life and beginning a new life halfway around the world,” the woman said.
The Buenos Aires Health Ministry said at its busiest public hospital, the Fernández Hospital, 85 of the 985 births last year, or 8.6%, were to Russian women. This year through Feb. 14, 38 of the 168 births, or 22.6%, have been babies born to Russian
women. At the private Finochietto Hospital, doctors delivered 50 Russian babies in December of the total 180 births recorded, said Dr. Guido Manrique, chief of obstetrics.
“Since the middle of 2022, the number of pregnant Russians has been growing,” he said.
Dr. Karina Fraga said Russian women are arriving at her private practice at 33 weeks of pregnancy. She said she would normally deliver 10 to 15 babies a month. Now, with all the Russians, it is up to 30, she said, adding she is very busy with the influx
of new Russian patients and their deliveries.
“I dedicate my time to moving them in, moving them out, as well as adding more patients. I don’t have a life,” Dr. Fraga said.
Those who want to come to Argentina can pay for advice by contracting agencies like RuArgentina, which on its website calls Argentina “the best country to give birth.”
Run by Kirill Makoveev, a Russian who has been living in Buenos Aires for eight years, RuArgentina serves affluent Russians willing to pay up to $15,000 for advice on giving birth and settling in Argentina. “We are full with clients until May,” Mr.
Makoveev said.
Most Russians, though, seem to have found out about Argentina through the Telegram messaging app. Argentina’s runaway inflation and its troubled economic history haven’t stifled interest.
One account with more than 5,000 Russian users calls itself “Giving Birth in Argentina.” Another called “Russians in Argentina” has 16,000 users. In both, members share information on navigating immigration regulations, the cost and quality of
hospitals, finding apartments and hiring babysitters and translators.
For some Russian men, coming to Argentina was an easy decision in the face of a mobilization as the Kremlin’s military sought to throw more soldiers into the fighting in Ukraine. “We came mostly to get away from the war, because I was at the risk of
getting drafted and we don’t support this terrible aggression,” said Alexander Nechaev, 28.
Russians have long immigrated to Argentina but have mostly assimilated. The recent wave stands out, with Russian being heard in the cafes of the bustling, trendy neighborhood of Palermo, where many of the newcomers have settled. Newly formed teams of
Russians play soccer in public fields. Public hospitals feature signs in Russian.
Ms. Schteiner and her husband, for now, have settled in a small apartment. He works remotely as a financial analyst. Though she misses family back in Russia, Ms. Schteiner said she has felt at home, rejoicing with Argentines in December when the national
soccer team won the World Cup.
“I’m in a country where people get together, where they sing, dance in the street,” she said. “For me, Argentina is a real pleasure. It’s freedom.”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-women-flock-to-argentina-to-give-birth-b6e65569
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