Hong Kong airline stops pregnancy tests for Saipan travelers

airline Hong Kong Express has apologized for having required some female passengers bound for U.S. territory of Saipan to take pregnancy tests.

low-cost carrier said in a statement Friday that it began requiring such tests in February 2019, after concerns were raised by Saipan authorities, to ensure U.S. immigration laws were t “undermined.”

“We would like to apologize unreservedly to anyone who has been affected by this,” it said.

“Under our new manment, we recognize significant concerns this practice has caused. We have immediately suspended practice while we review it,” it said.

U.S. has been seeking to prevent travelers, especially from China, from heing to Saipan and or American territories to give birth and potentially gain U.S. citizenship for ir babies.

issue surfaced after a Japanese passenger complained late last year that she felt “humiliated” when she was required to undergo such a test while traveling to island.

Midori Nishida, who lives in Tokyo but grew up in Saipan, said that while preparing to board her flight she was taken to a public restroom and handed a pregnancy test, which came out negative.

“Satisfied that I h baby in me, airline staff finally issued me a boarding pass,” Nishida said in comments published by Saipan Tribune.

“I am truly appalled by entire situation,” she said, saying she usually looked forward to visiting Saipan and seeing family and friends.

“But after this incident, I can only think of how I will be suspected, investigated, and humiliated before I can return to a place I consider home.”