Japan has most powerful passport – but it’s meaningless during Covid

In this article in the Independent on the launch of the 2021 Q1 Henley Passport Index and Global Mobility Report, Dr. Christian H. Kälin is quoted as saying, “Just a year ago all indications were that the rates of global mobility would continue to rise, that travel freedom would increase, and that holders of powerful passports would enjoy more access than ever before. The global lockdown negated these glowing projections, and as restrictions begin to lift, the results from the latest index are a reminder of what passport power really means in a world upended by the pandemic.” The article emphasizes how despite holding the top position on the index for three consecutive years, owing to Covid-related travel restrictions, Japan’s passport power holds no sway in a world overwhelmed by a pandemic.