Travel restrictions on critics

A recent Freedom House report reveals that at least 55 governments worldwide are employing travel restrictions to suppress perceived political opponents, utilizing tactics such as revoking citizenship, imposing travel bans, confiscating passports, and denying consular services. The report, based on interviews with individuals from Belarus, India, Nicaragua, Rwanda, and Saudi Arabia, highlights the growing trend of authoritarian regimes leveraging mobility controls to silence dissent. Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, interim president of Freedom House, emphasized the need for international awareness and action to combat these repressive measures. Notably, the report references the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and Nicaragua's 2023 deportation of political prisoners as examples of extreme repercussions for dissenters. The study identifies travel bans as the most frequent method of repression, affecting not only journalists but also activists and ordinary citizens. Overall, the findings illustrate a significant global issue where freedom of movement is increasingly curtailed by authoritarian governments.