Lebanese Passport Ranked among the Ten Worst in the World
02 Oct 201321:00 PM
Lebanese Passport Ranked among the Ten Worst in the World

It wouldn’t be surprising if we say that the Lebanese passport fails to be globally top ranked as it won’t also be a secret for any Lebanese citizen that applying for visas could be a painstaking job. Unfortunately, the Lebanese passport appears to be really far from being a sight for sore eyes.

 

According to a new report issued by Henley & Partners, a major consulting firm that is specialized in residence and citizenship planning, Lebanon was listed among the ten least desirable countries in the world when it comes to visa restrictions and free access to other countries.

 

According to Henley and Partners’ global ranking index for 2013, the citizens of Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Pakistan, Palestine, Eritrea, Nepal, Sudan, Sri Lanka and Lebanon enjoy the least freedom of international travel.

 

The Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index is a global ranking of countries according to travel freedom their citizens enjoy. Henley & Partners has analyzed the visa regulations of all the countries and territories in the world. It has created an index which ranks countries according to the visa-free access its citizens enjoy to other countries.

 

According to the consulting firm, visa restrictions are imposed by countries to control the crossing of their borders. Accordingly, does the ranking of the cedar-stamped passport reflect the international community’s distrust toward Lebanon?

 

Visa requirements are regarded as an expression of the relationships between individual nations, and generally reflect the relations and status of a country within the international community of nations. Given this fact, Lebanon must seek to lift up its passport’s global ranking, not only to polish up the Lebanese state’s image but also to preserve the dignity of those who hold this passport.