Canadians can now travel to more than 180 countries without the need for a visa, according to the latest Henley Passport ranking of the most powerful passports, which finds a growing gap between citizens of different countries when it comes to freedom to travel.
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The results of the Henley Passport Index, created 17 years ago, show that the number of destinations accessible without a prior visa has increased significantly in recent years. In 2006, an individual might visit on average 57 countries without a visa, whereas today the figure is 107.
Canadian passport holders can travel to 185 destinations without a visa. The country is therefore in seventh position on the index, just behind the United States.
However, this increase illustrates a growing disparity between the level of travel freedom of northern countries compared to southern countries. Indeed, the citizens of the richest countries can travel without a visa in more than 180 countries in the world while this figure hardly reaches 50 in the poorest countries.
Impacts of the pandemic
Additionally, the Henley Global Mobility Report notes increasing inequalities caused in part by COVID-19 and difficult access to vaccines.
“An individual’s health and vaccination status have as much influence on mobility as visa-free access to their passport. Residing in the ‘wrong’ nation can have a huge impact on access to business, medical and health services, and make travel impossible for some, ”said Dr. Andreas Brauchlin, specialist in cardiology and medicine. Internationally renowned intern and member of the advisory board of the SIP Family Medical Office in Switzerland.
“The opening of migration channels is essential to post-pandemic recovery,” said the president of Henley & Partners and inventor of the passport index concept, Dr Christian H. Kaelin.