55 govts use travel curbs on critics

At least 55 governments around the world are using travel restrictions as part of their repressive tactics against perceived political opponents, according to a report released yesterday.

Revoking citizenship, imposing travel bans, confiscating passports and denying consular services are among the methods used by authoritarian regimes to restrict the freedom of movement of people seen as a threat, according to Freedom House.

The report was compiled in part based on interviews with 31 people from Belarus, India, Nicaragua, Rwanda and Saudi Arabia who "experienced mobility controls firsthand."

The governments use at least one of these four methods in retribution for political activism or dissent, the US nonprofit dedicated to promoting democracy said.