How Countries Use Passports as a Geopolitical Tool
The passport is one of the most fundamental documents in a person’s life. It dictates whether a person can get past certain borders and customs and to certain countries – and in turn, it can be a powerful geopolitical tool. Passports and their associated policies act as the gatekeeper between countries, allowing countries to regard each other with more scrutiny and insert more control over the movement of their citizens.
In this article, we’ll explore the ways in which countries use passports as a tool of geopolitical influence and what implications these policies have on international relationships.
History of Passport Use
Passports, as we know them today, have a long history as a means of identification and governmental control. During the 17th century, the purpose of a passport was primarily for recognition and identification of travelers crossing one country and into another. These passports were more like letters of safe passage, vouching for the traveler’s legal right and authorized presence in a country.
The 19th and 20th centuries saw passport laws evolve significantly. The control of international movement became far more restrictive and passports became more than just a letter of safety and recognition; they now came to reflect the political relationship between countries. This was seen profoundly after World War I, when many countries created laws that hindered international t
raveling between certain countries. The passport then also became a tool used to segregate and identify certain groups of people, including immigrants and refugees looking to enter other countries.
The Power of Passports
Today, passports are used to track people’s movement and can be used by countries to exert power and influence in the geopolitical world. The power of passports was demonstrated recently in the US travel ban controversy between the US and several oil-producing countries in the Middle East, where the US government issued a controversial travel ban to prevent people from certain countries from entering its borders.
This travel ban was designed to exert pressure on those countries to comply with US foreign policy by restricting the ability of their citizens to travel there. In turn, those countries may be less likely to work against US interests in the political arena. In a similar way, countries may also be more likely to cooperate with one another if they are both given access to each other’s passport holders.
Visa Requirements
Visa requirements are the most common way that countries use passports to gain control. For instance, when a country wants to make sure that their citizen’s cannot easily enter a certain country, they may make visa requirements more strict. This means that even if a person has a valid passport, they may not be able to enter the country if they don’t meet certain criteria set by the country in question.
In this way, countries can control the amount of people that come in and out of their borders, as well as exert political pressure on countries whose citizens they wish to restrict. Furthermore, visa requirements are often used as a form of foreign aid; countries that cooperate with other countries’ policies may be rewarded with visa waivers, making it easier for their citizens to travel to those countries.
Dual Citizenship
Dual citizenship is one tool countries often use to ensure the loyalty of their citizens. Some countries, such as the United States, do not recognize dual citizenship, meaning that those with multiple passports must declare an allegiance to one or the other. Other countries, meanwhile, may allow dual citizenship, which gives citizens the ability to hold dual passports from two separate countries and move freely between them.
This allows for greater access and more opportunities for citizens, as well as foreign investment by companies and investors who can take advantage of the financial advantages that come from being a citizen of two states. However, there is also the potential for misuse of dual citizenship where citizens may use their position to influence or even betray their home country for the benefit of their adopted state.
Passport Revocation
Another form of control comes in the form of passport revocation. Passports are revoked when a country’s government believes that a person has violated certain laws or is deemed a threat to national security. For example, in 2006, the US revoked the passport of an American citizen who had been accused of aiding the Taliban. As a result, he was unable to travel or cross most international borders, effectively trapping him in his home country.
Passport revocation is a powerful tool that countries can use to exert control or punish those they deem to have violated certain laws or policies. It can also be used as a form of diplomatic leverage, whereby countries can pressure their citizens to obey certain laws or regulations that may be in conflict with another country, such as US sanctions against Iran.
As we’ve seen, passports are an important geopolitical tool and are used on a regular basis by countries to control the movement of their citizens. Visa requirements, dual citizenship, and passport revocation are all methods used to exert influence and control. However, this power can be misused, and lead to unfair policies that unfairly target certain groups of people, such as refugees or immigrants. It is important for governments to carefully consider the implications of their passport policies and how they may affect international relationships and the rights of their citizens.
