Hong Kong bars more than 3,500 mainland pregnant women

Entry and exit authorities in Hong Kong recently repatriated a mainland woman, who is pregnant, and her husband back to Beijing after it was discovered that she had given birth in the special administrative region.

In the first eight months of the year, 3,532 mainland pregnant women were barred from entering Hong Kong.

The couple claims they were tourists who did not plan the birth in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Immigration Department has responded by saying that a late-term pregnant woman who is not a Hong Kong resident has to provide proof of registration in a Hong Kong hospital. Otherwise, she is not allowed to enter.

Hong Kong announced a zero tolerance policy last year for non-residential women giving birth in the city. There were 5,077 mainland pregnant women sent back home last year for not registering in Hong Kong hospitals, an increase of 20 percent from 2012.