Passport Power - BLOC Magazine

The earliest known use of travel documents can be dated back to 450 BC. Issued by a Persian King to one of his officials, the letter granted it’s holder permission to travel “beyond the river” and safe passage to Judea.

It wasn’t until World War I, when European governments introduced border passport requirements to control emigration, that passports were widely adopted by the general public.

Machine-readable passports, currently used today, were only later introduced by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 1980 when worldwide passport guidelines were officially agreed.

But not all passports are created equal.

As reported by the Henley Passport Index, British passports are ranked the third most powerful in the world. Entitling visa-free entry to 175 out of a possible 218 territories around the world.

Germany topped the leaderboard with 177. Followed by Singapore and Switzerland in second place with 176.

At the bottom of the leaderboard was Syria with 28 countries, Iraq with 27 and Afghanistan 24.

Since the historic Brexit vote, however, the free movement of people from the UK across Europe is up for negotiation and could be revoked.

So much so, some Brits have taken it upon themselves to seek alternative ways to maintain friction-free access to Europe. 

Ireland’s department of foreign affairs reported last year that Irish passports applications from Britain and Northern Ireland surpassed 160,000. Making up 20% of the total number of applications received in 2017 and breaking all previous records.

The number of people born in Britain registering as Irish also rocketed by 95%.

This is made possible as Britain allows for dual citizenship, unlike some other European countries, and would allow those with Irish passports continued free movement across the continent.

This also follows news that the British passport will revert back to its navy blue design, first used in 1921, to coincide with the removal of the wording “European Union” on the front cover.

Meaning new UK passports will join a number of former Commonwealth countries, such as Australia, USA, Canada and Hong Kong, who all have blue passports.

The new design will be issued after October 2019, while the old burgundy passports will continue to be issued after March 2019, after the UK leaves the EU, but with no reference to the trade bloc.