Travel Document

Luuk van der Baaren and Dimitry V. Kochenov

Chapter 101 in Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Migration and Asylum Law, 2025, pp 587-591 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Travel documents, particularly passports, play a pivotal role in regulating international mobility and executing border control. Historically, travel was linked to factors like race and class rather than just nationality. The 1920s passport conferences established the first international standards for their formats, shifting from control based on nationality and race to nationality alone. Travel documents allow states to verify identities and eligibility at borders and establish deportation destinations when necessary. They primarily serve as proof of nationality but can also be issued to non-nationals. Some international organizations can issue globally recognized travel documents. Hence, a wide array of travel documents exists, and state practices concerning their recognition also vary. The International Civil Aviation Organization sets and upholds standards regarding the form of travel documents. Despite certain international legal limitations on state discretion in this realm, many individuals are left without the necessary documentation, perpetuating a contemporary ‘passport apartheid’ that hampers global mobility.

Keywords: Travel documents; passports; Identity; Border control; Nationality; Passport apartheid (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781802204148
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