Birth Tourism as a Strategy for Global Mobility and Citizenship: A Study on Turkish Families

This study examines the motivations, experiences, and challenges of Turkish citizens participating in birth tourism and examines the processes behind their decision to give birth abroad and the consequences of this process. The findings show that the most fundamental motivation for birth tourism is the desire to acquire citizenship in countries that grant jus soli (citizenship by birth). However, families' desire for access to quality healthcare and economic instability are among the important factors affecting birth tourism. Maxqda was used in the analysis process of the study. The research findings basically progress in 4 sections: The motivation category, decision-making category, process category and experience category. These themes were determined in line with the participant narratives and analyzed in relation to the theoretical framework of the study. This study emphasizes the need to examine in more detail the long-term effects of birth tourism on children born abroad and the policy arrangements of host countries towards this phenomenon. By analyzing the opportunities offered by birth tourism and the constraints it faces, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the shaping of contemporary transnational mobility.