Passports
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How much might global economic output rise if anyone could work anywhere? Some economists have calculated it would double. By the turn of the 20th century only a handful of countries were still insisting on passports to enter or leave. Today, migrant controls are back in fashion. It can seem like a natural fact of life that the name of the country on our passport determines where you can travel and work \\u2013 legally, at least.
But it\\u2019s a relatively recent historical development \\u2013 and, from a certain angle, an odd one. Many countries take pride in banning employers from discriminating against characteristics we can\\u2019t change: whether we\\u2019re male or female, young or old, gay or straight, black or white.
It\\u2019s not entirely true that we can\\u2019t change our passport: if you\\u2019ve got $250,000, for example, you can buy one from St Kitts and Nevis. But mostly our passport depends on the identity of our parents and location of our birth. And nobody chooses those.
Editors: Richard Knight and Richard Vadon\\nProducer: Ben Crighton
(Photo: Irish and UK passports are on display. Credit: Getty Images)
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