The number of people who traveled to Florida for an abortion surged by 38 percent for a period between 2021, and 2022, based on the data provided by the Agency for Health Care Administration.
A total of 4,873 people from other countries came to Florida for abortion in 2021, while the number continued to increase last year, to 6,700, VisaGuide.World reports.
The rise was seen in spite of Florida’s authorities’ decision to pass and enact a ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Last year, the number of abortions performed in Florida was 82,192, meaning that nearly 92 percent were for residents across the 67 counties with Miami-Dade County registering the majority of abortions in 2022 or a total of 15,595.
The counties with fewer abortions recorded were Gilchrist, Flagler, Glades, Liberty, Lafayette, and Union, or fewer than 20 abortions each.
The governor of Florida Ron DeSantis announced that the country welcomed 137.6 million passengers last year, accounting for about a 13 percent increase in comparison to 2021, during which year it welcomed 104.5 million visitors.
DeSantis said that the state saw a record number of visitors after Florida is free and has a lot to offer without restrictions.
“People continue to make Florida their vacation destination because they know that in the Free State of Florida, they can enjoy all that we have to offer without mandates or restrictions. Despite the federal government’s attempts to keep our economy stagnant, Florida’s freedom-first approach has created an environment that attracts new visitors, fosters new businesses and drives our economy forward,” DeSantis said.
However, despite the increase, a notable number of visitors came to Florida only for abortion tourism.
Republican lawmakers are considering new changes to the country’s abortion laws, according to a News Channel report. House Speaker Paul Renner confirmed that they are working toward it and taking input from everyone.
At present, Florida law bans this procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with specific exceptions applied, but the new changes that lawmakers would introduce include imposing stricter abortion bans.
In April last year, DeSantis signed the country’s 15-week abortion into law, soon after the bill was addressed to him by the state legislature.
However, the decision was not unanimously supported by the country’s authorities. Pro-abortion rights advocates raised concerns regarding the issue, especially after the bill does not provide exceptions for pregnancies resulting from incest, rape, or human trafficking.
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