There is a widening gap between the global north and the global south when it comes to travel freedoms, says the first 2022 report by the Henley & Partners, a London-based global citizenship and residency consultancy.
THE Henley Passport Index The company, based on exclusive data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), has regularly tracked the world’s friendliest passports since 2006.
According to the document, the growing barriers to travel that have been introduced over the course of the Covid-19 resulted in the largest global mobility gap in the index’s 16-year history.
The index does not take into account temporary restrictions, so leaving aside actual access to current travel, holders of the top-ranked passports – Japan and Singapore – can, in theory, travel visa-free to 192 destinations.
That’s 166 more destinations than Afghan citizens, who are at the bottom of the 199 passport index, and can access only 26 countries without needing a visa in advance.
Europe dominates
Further down the top 10, the ranking remains largely unchanged as we head into the first quarter of 2022. South Korea is tied with Germany for second (with a score of 190) and Finland, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain are all tied for second place (with a score of 190). together in third place (with a score of 189).
EU countries dominate the top of the list as usual, with France, the Netherlands and Sweden moving up one spot to join Austria and Denmark in fourth place (with a score of 188). Ireland and Portugal are in fifth place (with a score of 187).
The United States and the United Kingdom, which held the top spot together in 2014, have regained some ground. They climbed one ranking to sixth, alongside four other nations with a history of isolationism or neutrality: Switzerland, Norway, Belgium and New Zealand.
In 7th place we have Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Greece and Malta. Eastern European countries make up the rest of the top 10. Hungary and Poland are up to eighth place, Lithuania and Slovakia are up to ninth place and Estonia, Latvia and Slovenia are in tenth place.
positive internal migration
The latest report notes that the appearance at the end of last year of the Omicron illuminated a growing divide in international mobility between richer and poorer countries, pointing to the harsh restrictions introduced primarily against African nations that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described as being akin to “travel apartheid”.
Pandemic aside, overall levels of travel freedom have expanded enormously over the past two decades. The Henley Passport Index found in 2006 that an individual could, on average, visit 57 countries without having to purchase a visa in advance. Today, that number is 107 – almost double.
However, these new freedoms are mostly enjoyed by Europe, North America and wealthier Asian nations – passport holders from nations like Angola, Cameroon and Laos can only enter about 50.
Christian H. Kaelin, president of Henley & Partners and creator of the passport index concept, says opening up migration channels will be crucial to the post-pandemic recovery. “Passports and visas are among the most important instruments that impact social inequality around the world, as they determine opportunities for global mobility,” he says.
“The borders within which we are born and the documents we are entitled to possess are no less arbitrary than the color of our skin. Wealthier states need to encourage positive internal migration in an effort to help redistribute and rebalance human and material resources across the world.”
The best passports to keep in 2022:
1. Japan, Singapore (192 destinations)
2. Germany, South Korea (190)
3. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain (189)
4. Austria, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Sweden (188)
5. Ireland, Portugal (187)
6. Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States (186)
7. Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Greece, Malta (185)
8. Poland, Hungary (183)
9. Lithuania, Slovakia (182)
10. Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia (181)
20. Brazil, San Marino (169)
The worst passports to hold:
Several countries around the world have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to less than 40 countries. These include:
104. North Korea (39 destinations)
105. Nepal and Palestinian Territories (37)
106. Somalia (34)
107. Yemen (33)
108. Pakistan (31)
109. Syria (29)
110. Iraq (28)
111. Afghanistan (26)
Other indices
The Henley & Partner list is one of several indexes created by financial firms to rank global passports according to the access they provide to their citizens.
The Henley Passport Index ranks 199 passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a visa. It is updated in real time throughout the year as visa policy changes take effect.
The Arton Capital Passport Index takes into account passports from 193 United Nations member countries and six territories – ROC Taiwan, Macau (SAR China), Hong Kong (SAR China), Kosovo, Palestinian Territory and Vatican. Territories annexed to other countries are excluded.
Its 2022 index has the UAE in first place, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 160.
This content was originally created in English.
original version
Reference: CNN Brasil
