Let’s Talk About Passport Privilege

By: Nana Mariam Maïga

Passport privilege remains an entirely unaddressed, unsustainable inequity, and the most consistently overlooked factor that defines every single immigration debate and "crisis" of movement and migration.

I bookmarked this passage six years ago from Vik Sohonie’s 2018 article, “The most powerful currency today.” In this piece, Sohonie reflects on the stark global inequalities in movement and visa policies based on nationality. He critiques the privileged status of Western passports, which afford their holders (close to) unrestricted mobility and ease of travel, while individuals from ‘less privileged’ nations endure systemic obstacles. 

As a holder of a passport from the Republic of Mali, I know a thing or two about these systemic obstacles. It’s difficult to pinpoint just one standout example of how the limitations associated with this passport have affected my travel experiences. 

Because there are many.

I could share my experience from a trip to Bali in 2019. Despite Indonesia being one of the few countries I can visit without a visa, I still had to endure an extra 30-minute wait after a nearly 24-hour journey because the customs agent needed to double-check that I did not need a visa to enter. Or perhaps the time in 2023 when I missed a Beyoncé concert in Amsterdam. My best friend had gifted me a once-in-a-lifetime ticket for my birthday, but due to delays in the visa process, I couldn’t travel in time and ended up missing the concert. I also remember back in 2012 when I was accepted to university; despite being the class valedictorian and having my acceptance letter in hand, I couldn’t shake off the anxiety about potential visa-related issues that might arise. 

Another notable experience was in 2020, when I was offered my first consultant contract with the United Nations at the International Trade Centre in Geneva. Due to administrative and permit issues, I had to navigate a complex process to renew my visa, which involved flying back to Mali during the COVID-19 pandemic's uncertainties, even though I had been living in Switzerland for four years at that time. The irony struck me deeply: here I was, working for a global organization — the ultimate global organization — yet struggling with bureaucratic hurdles over a piece of paper that would determine my entry into a given territory. This experience made me, and always makes me - reflect on the even greater challenges faced by those with far less privilege. 

Sohonie’s reference to the "three borders" is particularly relatable: first, the embassy; then, the "intimidating immigration agents waiting on the skybridge just as the plane parks;” and “the final immigration and customs section." Because it is so true that despite having your visa and a folder filled with every paper proof of your identity and your intention to return home, you constantly worry about anything that could go wrong once you reach customs —including an agent simply denying you entry. 

In an era of globalization, the paradox of restrictive visa regimes underscores the persistence of global inequality when it comes to economic, social, and political opportunity. Numerous examples illustrate this issue, such as the one illustrated in Sohonie’s article about Sorie Koroma, an elderly, blind maestro of Kondi music from Sierra Leone. In 2017, Koroma, known as Sorie Kondi, was scheduled to perform in the UK and a number of European and Asian cities. He applied through a third-party service used by many embassies for visa processing. With tour dates confirmed, and despite having performed in the UK before, Koroma’s passport was held for over 60 days, which led to missing his tour dates everywhere. This is a challenge that renowned artists like Stevie Wonder or Celine Dion would likely never face when planning a world tour.

In 2022, Ahmed Ogwell, then-acting director of Africa’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, nearly missed the World Health Summit in Berlin - a summit intended to advance global health, particularly in low-income countries. Allegedly because he was “mistreated… by immigration personnel, who imagine I want to stay back illegally,” according to a tweet from his profile at the time. And Anita Kouhavey-Eklu, Integrate Health’s deputy country director for Togo, who did miss the same conference in Berlin where she was supposed to receive a Heroines of Health Award because her visa was outright denied. 

And then there is Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, who said he needs 35 visas to travel in Africa on his Nigerian passport. 

These examples highlight the challenges faced by individuals who are considered relatively privileged. But what about those who are not? What about those fleeing conflict or simply seeking socio-economic opportunities? Those who can be driven to resort to perilous migration routes. According to the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) 2024 World Migration Report, between 2014 and the end of 2023 the Missing Migrants Project recorded over 63,000 deaths and disappearances on migration routes. It’s important to note that the Project encounters significant challenges in data collection, as many of these incidents occur at sea or in remote areas, making it difficult to recover remains.

So I found it amusing during the recent French legislative elections when a woman declared on the news that if her preferred party lost, she planned to move permanently to Morocco. Her casual remark underscored the effortlessness of the thought of relocation for certain passport holders. So simply put. So easily said. So privileged. Passport privileged. 

This is hardly a secret. The Henley Passport Index provides a rather straightforward ranking of countries according to the relative entry freedom of their citizens. Check it out sometime, you may notice a discernable pattern. 

Visa restrictions erect formidable barriers to a wide range of social, economic, and political opportunities, rendering standard migration pathways fraught with challenges for countless individuals. By prioritizing nationality as the primary determinant of access, these restrictions perpetuate deep-seated inequalities, unfairly limiting the potential of individuals based on their country of origin. This outdated approach neglects the increasingly interconnected nature of our globalized world, where the free exchange of ideas, cultures, and skills is essential for progress. To address these injustices, we must comprehensively reevaluate and reform our visa systems, striving for a more inclusive and equitable framework that acknowledges the complexities of modern migration and the inherent value of diversity.