Citizen

Birth Tourism and the Best Countries for it

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Birth tourism is not a new practice among expecting parents. It is the activity of going to another country where neither parent is a citizen, for the sole purpose of childbirth. There are many reasons why expecting parents may leave their country to give birth in another country: For better medical care: There are countries with better and safer maternity healthcare systems. Parents-to-be could choose to give birth in other countries to get the best birthing experience. To give their children a better quality of life: Some countries provide a better quality of life than others. Giving birth in such countries where the child becomes a citizen gives the child a better standard of living. To get dual citizenship: If children are born in countries where citizenship at birth is granted, they automatically have access to the citizenship of two countries. That is, from their birth parents’ country and from the country they are born in. To get residence and citizenship: Having a child as a citizen of a country makes the application for permanent residency and citizenship of his/her parents easier. Note that not all countries give citizenship to children born within their borders. Countries grant either jus soli (right of the soil) or jus sanguinis (right of blood). Jus soli grants citizenship for being born ‘on the soil’. Jus sanguinis citizenship is based on the nationality of the parents.To avoid going to a country that practices jus sanguinis expecting citizenship, here are 5 countries best for birth tourism. Canada In Canada, a child can automatically get their second passport days after birth. With the Canadian passport, citizens can travel to 190 countries without having a visa. The child becomes eligible to apply for jobs when they are older and they can run for political positions, as every other citizen would. The healthcare system in Canada is good and you don’t have to worry about your child losing their citizenship status. It is there for life. Unlike in the United States where children who acquired citizenship by birth has to pay taxes, in Canada your child wouldn’t have to pay taxes if he/she doesn’t reside in the country.   Brazil The Brazilian passport was ranked 12th best in the world in 2021. As a parent with a Brazilian citizen for a child, you can obtain permanent residency by submitting your child’s birth certificate and passport and applying for citizenship after a year. Not to mention that Brazil has world-class facilities and good healthcare. The Brazilian passport also allows travel to over 150 countries, visa-free.   Mexico Mexico is a popular vacationing spot but it is also at the top of most expecting parents’ list of countries to give birth in. This country is part of APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) and as such, their passport gives access to other member states like Australia, Malaysia, Russia, among others, visa-free. What’s more? After obtaining permanent residency for having a child who is Mexican, the parents and grandparents of that child are eligible to request for citizenship after two years instead of five years that every other person has to wait for.   Chile Chile is not as popular as Brazil as a hot spot for birth tourism but Chile’s passport is one of the strongest passports in the world. It ranks among the top twenty passports of the world. What makes having this passport better is the fact that if your child decides to move to Spain, they can get a Spanish citizenship after two years of residency and after passing the Spanish language test. Normally, people wait for about ten years before qualifying for Spanish citizenship. Chile and Spain have an agreement to make the process of citizenship for Chileans as fast and easy as possible. A Chilean passport gives access to 173 countries, visa-free.   Barbados As the United Kingdom has conditional citizenship for children born on their soil, going to Barbados to give birth to your child provides a gateway to the UK passport – especially if you have any British ancestors. Barbados was a colony of the United Kingdom. Barbadian citizens also have travel access to 140 countries without a visa and special access to the United Kingdom.   Even though birth tourism has been cast in a bad light, it is not bad to want a better future for your children. Do not be ashamed to reach out for better healthcare, quality education and better opportunities for your children by obtaining birthright citizenship for them in other countries. Opeyemi Kareem  

How to Be An Effective Digital Citizen

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The digital space is a virtual community, but are you a good citizen of it? Citizenship confers special status on those that are qualified. It separates them from aliens, allowing them to fully associate with the aspirations and objectives of the community in question. A citizen enjoys the full privileges and benefits of their environment if they operate within the existing system as a bonafide member by abiding by the relationship standards. Some of the privileges you can enjoy as an effective citizen of a space include protection, security, rights and liberties that make it possible for you to fully express yourself. You will have the right to relate with other humans in the community and also fully utilise the opportunities of the space without putting yourself at risk. Old and young people today are growing up surrounded by technology but are often not very skilled at making good use of it. Although some people are comfortable using technology, they may use it inappropriately and may be unaware of how to harness the power and potential of technology to pursue their passions and contribute to their community. Based on this background, this write-up provides clues on how to build skills and the confidence to communicate with people respectively and responsibly in the digital space.   Elements of Digital Citizenship A scholar of emerging media, Mike Ribble, in 2015 named three elements of a good digital citizen. He also provided nine sub-elements as key indicators of an effective player in the digital space. The elements are as below: Respect yourself and others by: Observing digital etiquette in conducting yourself with orderliness and appropriateness online while avoiding tardiness Observing digital laws against damaging, stealing, phishing, poking others in the digital space Observing digital access of equal chance to available technology, since accessible technology involves finding alternative means by way of individual skill Educate yourself and connect with others by: Observing digital literacy of knowing the capability of using digital technology and knowing when/how to use it Observing digital technology of selecting appropriate options for communication Observing digital commerce for effective and informed consumers in a digital economy Protect yourself and others by: Observing digital health and wellness of understanding physical and psychological health, balance between the online and real world Observing digital rights and responsibilities of knowing about privacy, freedom of speech, ethics and             empathy in the digital space Observing digital security of protecting information and devices from malware, phishing, spam messages, keylogger, data or copyright theft Your digital footprint online is permanent and important. Permanent in the sense that it can be accessed. Your uploaded content might have been downloaded, screenshot, copied, or saved immediately you posted it by an end-user on a computer, phone, drive or cloud which could be recalled at any time. It also creates activities and forms your personality. So, while it is impulsive to want to break a news, it is also critical to restrain yourself by using the SIFT formular (Stop, Investigate, Find and Trace) method in order not to promote fear amongst your followers or other internet users by focusing only on the negative. Active and vibrant participation in the digital space opens up opportunities, connections and learning in the connected world. Being able to use digital technology has become an important function in our community and it is rapidly changing the way we interact. Digital technologies offer wonderful possibilities for people who can navigate online efficiently, communicate with people respectfully and access information responsibly. These online practices are part of what is known as Digital Citizenship.   TemiDayo Babatunde is a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Information and Strategy Management (CIISM). He can be reached via his LinkedIn ([email protected]).