PR93981

LONDON, Jan. 11, 2022/PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/-

The latest results from the Henley Passport Index

[https://www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index] show record-breaking levels of

travel freedom for top-ranking nations Japan and Singapore, but also the widest

recorded global mobility gap since the index's inception 17 years ago. Without

taking temporary Covid-related restrictions into account, passport holders of

the two Asian nations can now enter 192 destinations around the world visa-free

– 166 more than Afghanistan, which sits at the bottom of the index.

This deepening divide in international mobility between wealthier countries and

poorer ones was bought into sharp focus late last year by the raft of punitive

Omicron-related restrictions against mainly African nations that U.N.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described as akin to "travel apartheid."

This, even though overall travel freedom levels have expanded significantly

over the past two decades. According to historical data from the Henley

Passport Index [https://www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index], which ranks all

the world's passports according to the number of destinations their holders can

access without a prior visa and is based on exclusive data from the

International Air Transport Association [https://www.iata.org/] (IATA), an

individual could, on average, visit 57 countries in 2006 visa-free. Today, that

number has risen to 107, but this overall increase masks a growing disparity

between countries in the global north and those in the global south, with

nationals from countries such as Sweden and the US able to visit more than 180

destinations visa-free, while passport holders from Angola, Cameroon, and Laos

can only enter about 50.

Covid-19 exacerbates inequality in global mobility

Germany and South Korea hold onto joint 2nd spot on the latest ranking, with

passport holders able to access 190 destinations visa-free, while Finland,

Italy, Luxembourg, and Spain share 3rd place, with a score of 189. The US and

the UK passports have regained some of their previous strength after falling

all the way to 8th place in 2020 – the lowest spot held by either country in

the index's 17-year history. Both countries now sit in 6th place, with a

visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 186.

Dr. Christian H. Kaelin [https://chriskalin.com/], Chairman of Henley &

Partners [https://www.henleyglobal.com/] and the inventor of the passport index

concept, says opening up migration channels is essential for post-pandemic

recovery. "Passports and visas are among the most important instruments

impacting on social inequality worldwide as they determine opportunities for

global mobility. The borders within which we happen to be born, and the

documents we are entitled to hold, are no less arbitrary than our skin color.

Wealthier states need to encourage positive inward migration to help

redistribute and rebalance human and material resources worldwide."

Commenting in the Henley Global Mobility Report 2022 Q1

[https://www.henleyglobal.com/publications/global-mobility-report/2022-q1],

which was released today along with the latest Henley Passport Index

[https://www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index] ranking, Prof. Mehari Taddele

Maru [https://www.henleyglobal.com/author/prof-mehari-taddele-maru] from the

Migration Policy Centre points out that "the expensive requirements associated

with international travel institutionalize inequality and discrimination.

Covid-19 and its interplay with instability and inequality has highlighted and

exacerbated the shocking disparity in international mobility between wealthy

developed nations and their poorer counterparts."

Further uncertainty predicted for 2022

Remarking in the report on the pandemic's effect on wider geopolitical trends

in migration and mobility, Misha Glenny [

https://www.henleyglobal.com/publications/global-mobility-report/2022-q1/global-mobility-trends/large-dose-uncertainty-smatterings-hope

], award-winning journalist and associate professor at Columbia University's

Harriman Institute, says "the very presence of Omicron points to a major

geopolitical failure. Had the US, Britain, and the EU diverted more money and

vaccines to southern Africa, the chances of such a robust new strain emerging

would have been much lower. Until we share the distribution of vaccines more

equitably, new mutations will have the ability to send us all back to square

one."

Dr. Andreas Brauchlin [

https://www.henleyglobal.com/publications/global-mobility-report/2022-q1/travel-mobility-trends/residence-status-determines-access

], an internationally renowned cardiology and internal medicine specialist and

member of the SIP Medical Family Office Advisory Board in Switzerland, agrees,

stating in the report that "an individual's health and vaccination status are

as influential on mobility as their passport's visa-free access. Being a

resident in the 'wrong' nation can heavily impact on your access to business,

health, and medical services, and make it impossible for some to travel."

Read the Full Press Release

[https://www.henleyglobal.com/newsroom/press-releases/2022-henley-passport-index

] and Henley Global Mobility Report 2022 Q1

[https://www.henleyglobal.com/publications/global-mobility-report/2022-q1].

SOURCE: Henley & Partners