UNDER TRUMP, U.S. PASSPORT VALUE FOR GLOBAL TRAVEL IS PLUMMETING !!!

in #us7 years ago

The power of a U.S. passport has plummeted under President Donald Trump.

American passports have now fallen behind those of 18 countries in terms of global mobility—a staggering collapse from only two years ago, according to a survey released Wednesday.

The rankings from the international finance firm Arton Capital had U.S. passports tied for sixth place—along with Ireland, Canada and Malaysia—for global mobility. The firm judged the passports by how many countries they allow holders to visit without applying for a visa.

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The U.S. travel troubles have taken off since Trump assumed office, as several countries have revoked visa-free access for American passport holders. Turkey and the Central African Republic revoked the easy travel, and the European Union in March voted to end visa-free travel for Americans in a nonbinding resolution. The EU, though, ultimately opted not to go through with the motion.

The U.S. State Department began a travel ban on North Korea in September—the first time the Trump administration has explicitly prohibited Americans from visiting another nation. Trump's travel bans on several majority-Muslim countries in Africa and the Middle East have led to a series of legal challenges and questions about who will be exceptions to the rule.

In 2015, the United States tied for first place with the United Kingdom on the list; last year, it slipped to fourth place. Americans now trails 18 countries, including Belgium, Japan, Sweden and first-place Singapore.

“This is a testament of Singapore’s inclusive diplomatic relations and effective foreign policy,” Phillipe May, managing director of Arton Capital’s Singapore office, said in a statement.

May told CNN that smaller nations "who are not a threat to anyone" are the ones most likely to have more in-demand passports today.

In general, developed countries with advanced economies fare the best. In contrast, nations under duress—like Afghanistan, Syria, and Yemen—round out the bottom of the list.

Passport Index ranks the passports of the 193 member countries of the United Nations as well as six internationally recognized territories.

Other passport rankings have also raised doubts about how well the U.S. still stands.

In Henley & Partners’ 2017 report, Germany topped the list of global visa-free access, followed by Denmark, Finland, Italy and Spain. Out of 174 measured by Henley & Partners, the United States tied for third place. In the Nomad Passport Index, which measures visa-free travel as well as taxes on international visitors, possibilities for dual citizenship, individual rights and global perception, the United States tied for 35th place.

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