Have you ever wondered what nationality is given to a baby born on a plane? If a baby is born on Delta Airlines to a Nigerian mother and a French father over Senegalese airspace, and an emergency landing is made in Mauritania, what will her citizenship be?
This is a pretty fascinating issue to research. Most people are born on land, in an area that is clearly spelled out within the borders of a country. But what happens to the few people who are born on an international flight or ship? Let's dig in!
In the story, there are 4 factors that come to play: the nationality(ies) of the parents (French & Nigerian), the airspace they are flying over (Senegalese), the country where the plane is registered (USA) and the first point of landing after the child is born (Mauritanian).
This is a pretty fascinating issue to research. Most people are born on land, in an area that is clearly spelled out within the borders of a country. But what happens to the few people who are born on an international flight or ship? Let's dig in!
In the story, there are 4 factors that come to play: the nationality(ies) of the parents (French & Nigerian), the airspace they are flying over (Senegalese), the country where the plane is registered (USA) and the first point of landing after the child is born (Mauritanian).