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Almost nothing works without a passport: How did this important document come into being 100 years ago?

2025-01-05 22:33:19Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Almost nothing works without a passport: How did this important document come
Passports have standardized formats in all countries, but differ in color and national emblems.

Without a passport, almost nothing works. The state document is not only necessary for travel. But it hasn't always been like this: the passport was introduced about 100 years ago. How was it created?

Biometric photos, barcodes, holograms, microchips: today's passport is undoubtedly a piece of modern technology. For some, it opens the door to the world, which for others - without the right passport - remains closed. But what were the beginnings like, how did the mostly square document come into being?

The beginnings of the passport

There has been something similar to a travel document since the 14th century. At that time, the plague was ravaging Europe and cities like Venice were looking for solutions to curb the disease. Thus was born the plague card - a certificate that everyone entering the country had to show. If you came from a plague region, you were not allowed to enter the city on the Lido. At that time, the travel document was not related to citizenship, but to residence. The connection between nationality and passport came later - in the 20th century.

Introduction of standard passports

Shortly after World War I, the idea of ​​a global passport standard was born. This task was entrusted to the newly founded League of Nations, the predecessor organization of the United Nations.

According to Hermine Diebolt, who works at the United Nations Library and Archives in Geneva, Switzerland, passports, as we know them today, have existed for almost 100 years.

The League of Nations, founded in 1920, was supposed to secure peace after World War I. During this time, old colonial empires fell. New nation-states were born. During the war, many people were deported, and often they only had local documents to prove their identity. Countries such as Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy required that during the war, people from enemy countries present official identification documents in order to be allowed to enter the country.

After 1918, when many people were on the run, border police had difficulty checking the many different travel documents. It was difficult to understand whether a passport was real or not. So a solution had to be found for this as well.

In 1920, the League of Nations gathered world leaders in Paris to negotiate standard regulations for travel documents. It was decided that passports would look the same everywhere and contain the same information. From now on, passports had to measure 15.5 by 10.5 centimeters, contain 32 pages, and have the name of the country and the coat of arms on the front. This format is still used today.

Freedom for some, an obstacle for others

Even back then, there were critics of the passport. Their argument: The document served less to free travelers and more to control them. "Some heads of state and government preferred that everything remain as before, when you could move freely without having documents with you. Even in public opinion and in the press, the passport was undesirable. People thought that passports restricted their freedom and violated their privacy. "In addition, the passport involved a lot of bureaucracy and investment," says Hermine Diebolt.

A New York Times article in 1926 referred to the passport as "The passport Nuisance." The newspaper wrote: "Should passports be carried as a permanent fixture of travel? The system, which has been in vogue since the war, is complicated, cumbersome, and hinders free circulation between nations."

But it was too late to stop the development. The members of the League of Nations could not agree on what a world without border controls and passports should look like. So the passport remained.

The modern passport and global inequality

To this day, a travel passport, a simple piece of paper, can have a huge impact on a person's life. Citizenship determines where they can travel and stay. Depending on their country of origin, a passport can grant its bearer extreme privileges - or even cause despair.

Passport rankings show how many countries a given passport can visit without a visa. According to the "Global Passport Power Rank 2024," the oil-rich country of the United Arab Emirates is in first place. Its citizens can travel to many countries, while people with Syrian passports have the opposite experience. Another ranking, the Henley Passport Index, gives Singapore first place, followed closely by France and Germany.

What about people who have neither citizenship nor a passport? About ten million people in the world are stateless. One reason may be discrimination against ethnic groups. According to the American Institute for Diplomacy and Human Rights, about 70 percent of Roma and Sinti in Germany are stateless.

A downside to passports is constantly coming to light. Passports are among the most sought-after items of trade, and not just on the black market. Some countries have even voluntarily opened their borders to the highest bidders, such as the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The country began issuing "golden" passports and visas after the economic crisis in 2013. Selling its passports was a lucrative business for Cyprus - until critical television reports revealed that high-ranking politicians were involved in the machinations. The practice of "golden passports" was officially discontinued./ DW


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