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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WIBU to move to Ireland to give birth

331 replies

DahlTheGalah · 18/12/2017 08:17

So that my baby would be an Irish and therefore EU citizen?

It seems farfetched to me, but I'm half serious. I am still so sad about Brexit, and being pregnant is bringing it home more as I've had the most wonderful and enriching experiences studying, living and working in Europe and am sad my baby may well not have those opportunities in the same way.

Currently, babies born on the island of Ireland to British Nationals get Irish (and therefore EU) citizenship. I am not Irish, but British currently living in Britain, and would be just making use of this law.

Has anyone else thought of doing this for the same reasons, or actually gone ahead?

How U am I being?

OP posts:
MadForlt · 18/12/2017 08:24

Sounds like a great plan to me. Not sure how feasible it is, but worth looking into.

Madonnasmum · 18/12/2017 08:27

I'm pretty sure people could live work and travel easily in Europe prior to us joining the EU. I know this as I actually did it it.
I'm really not quite sure what your expecting to happen after brexit?

LaurieMarlow · 18/12/2017 08:28

Speaking as an Irish person here (and one who's currently pregnant) please think about this carefully. If in the awful event something goes wrong, Irish medical practice doesn't necessarily prioritise your life over the unborn baby, even if the baby isn't viable. You should know this before making the decision.

If hellbent on the plan, Northern Ireland might be the better option.

OuchBollocks · 18/12/2017 08:30

I believe giving birth in northern Ireland would be sufficient to entitle your baby to Irish citizenship, and as its still part of the UK it would be easier logistically.

LivLemler · 18/12/2017 08:31

Agree NI would be better, still within NHS etc.

specialsubject · 18/12/2017 08:32

Back in the dark ages, people travelled to the EU, worked and lived there. It will still happen. Your little darling may find it harder to get a job selling drugs in magaluf (currently easy) but if it has the skills it will get work. If it has a passport it can go on holiday. We are allowed to travel outside the EU at present.

I suppose this is the remainer version of 'get the forriners out'

Littlelambpeep · 18/12/2017 08:33

A lot of issues in Ireland - things aren't great in terms of maternity services - google it

LaurieMarlow · 18/12/2017 08:34

but if it has the skills it will get work.

You have absolutely no way of knowing this. Show me where it's been discussed and agreed.

WhittlingIhopMonkey · 18/12/2017 08:35

The Irish tax payer will end up. Picking up the cost of this silly plan. Then there's the fact we've only reasonably recently closed a loop hole to stop another variation on birth tourism (law used to state parent AND child got Irish citizenship which ended up being widely abused and was shut down)

Then there's the fact our health care system is grossly underfunded and can barely support legitimate citizens who actually pay tax here.

Your proposing a type of fraud, please defraud the NHS if you must defraud anyone.

charlestonchaplin · 18/12/2017 08:39

If you can leave your life for long enough to make it happen, why not? Though I don't think the NI health services would be too pleased in the unlikely event it happens in significant numbers.

My friend got her children U.S. citizenship by having her children there. She's an American citizen (born in the U.S. but lived in the developing world most of her life) and had a place to stay with family for a few months, but of course she had to pay significant sums to get there, live there and use their health services. But I guess that coming from a developing country she felt it was worthwhile to give them the advantage of U.S citizenship and a U.S. passport.

Allfednonedead · 18/12/2017 08:39

Several things to check or think about. Double check about the passports, because the abdolute birth qualification was removed a few years ago (fecking racists).
Apart from the fetus’s Right to life , maternity services in RoI are good but not at all woman-centred. You could expect a much more medicalised birth than in the NHS.
The NI option might be logistically easier, but as there’s no abortion there either, I’m not sure how much better it would be from that point of view.
Plus the stress of travelling perinatally could well trigger PND.

Original poster
DahlTheGalah · 18/12/2017 08:44

Thank you for the responses.

As for what I'm expecting to happen after Brexit, I feel I have no idea what is going to happen, nor does anyone I know, and that is my worry.

I personally would not have been able to afford studying in the country I studied in had Britain not been part of the EU at the time. Nor would I have been offered the job I was.

But aside from the living and working in Europe issue, which I realise will be possible, I think it's also the ideological/emotional side: being a citizen of the EU rather than just a citizen of Britain.

It is horrible to hear of the issues many mothers face in Ireland, and an Irish friend had a hairy birth experience herself. I think that's awful and am aware how completely spoilt and stupid this question is on many levels.

Regarding the tax, I would feel bad about that, but hoped (perhaps naively) the tax I pay could be considered as being shared with Northern Ireland. I was thinking more of Northern Ireland for this (though my own family connections are in Dublin).

OP posts:
sinceyouask · 18/12/2017 08:46

Why so snide, specialsubject?

user1485009271 · 18/12/2017 08:46

I love the fact no one gives a fuck about Ireland or Northern Ireland until it benefits them.

LaurieMarlow · 18/12/2017 08:48

NI has a similar stance on abortion, but doesn't have medical interpretation of the Irish constitution to deal with, therefore the mother's life wouldn't be jeopardised for a non viable foetus.

Iprefercoffeetotea · 18/12/2017 08:49

If you have family connections in Dublin, you might already qualify eg if a grandparent was born in Ireland?

My mum qualifies but it can't be done retrospectively so I don't and neither does ds, sadly.

*living and working in Europe issue, which I realise will be possible^

Probably only with great difficulty unless we stay in the CU and SM. Barnier seems to be back to the idea of "punishing them for their decision" (sod those of us who voted against leaving) and therefore I don't think there will be much in the way of concessions to allow British-only citizens to live or work in the EU without getting visas and why would a European business employ a Brit when they've got 27+ other countries to choose from? They've already said Erasmus will be extended by a year, but I suspect that will be it in terms of concessions.

Elendon · 18/12/2017 08:49

The connection between Dublin and Northern Ireland is excellent (it takes about an hour to reach the border). I'd go to Newry.

LunasSpectreSpecs · 18/12/2017 08:49

Wouldn't work. You need to google "jus soli" and "jus sanguinis" - laws for determining nationality.

In most countries of hte world apart from the United States, it's the nationality of the parents which determines the nationality of the baby. Two British people have a baby in Spain - baby is British, not Irish. Being born in Ireland to British parents with no Irish connections would not make the baby Irish.

OuchBollocks · 18/12/2017 08:52

Yes it would luna, assuming the OP is British

WIBU to move to Ireland to give birth
Ceto · 18/12/2017 08:57

I'm pretty sure people could live work and travel easily in Europe prior to us joining the EU.

In travel terms, the world was a very different place in the 60s. You really can't compare the two.

charlestonchaplin · 18/12/2017 08:57

And the baby is born in NI, Ouch, rather than ROI.

Elendon · 18/12/2017 08:58

The baby would be Irish Luna.

However, if you do have relatives - there has to be a link with a woman - grandmother being the last (not great grandmother), then you can get Irish citizenship and can pass this on to your child - not your husband.

Contact the Irish Embassy in London. They are great at replying to emails.

cuirderussie · 18/12/2017 08:58

Sorry but I agree with Whittling and user. It's just what our already overwhelmed maternity services need. Hmm

BerkInBag · 18/12/2017 09:08

I love the fact no one gives a fuck about Ireland or Northern Ireland until it benefits them.

I'm inclined to agree with this. I have no idea if what you propose is possible OP and you must do whatever you want but for some reason I feel intensely irritated by your plan. Why should Ireland deal with the fall out of the UK's Brexit fiasco.

HermioneAndTheSniffle · 18/12/2017 09:09

I have seen people doing exactly that for an American passport for their dc (except it’s much much harder because the US is doing everything possible to avoid exactly that!).

I can’t see the issue. Your dc would have a dual citizenship and they might find that very helpful in the future.
Or they might not.
Seeing that we can’t predict the future, I can’t see how people can say it’s stupid to do that because your dc will ALWAYS be able to go to Europe to work.
In my view, it’s more like taking an insurance just in case and hoping you will never need it,