China’s “exit ban” extends reach | Pro IQRA News

According to a recent report by Safeguard Defenders, a human rights group, the number of Chinese and foreign nationals subject to China’s “exit ban” or ban on leaving the country is high.

A Reuters analysis also found that legal cases related to such restrictions have increased in recent years and that foreign business lobbies are now voicing their concerns about the situation.

“Since Xi Jinping took power in 2012, China has expanded the legal framework for the ban on leaving the country and has used it extensively,” Safeguard Defenders reports. Sometimes even by going out of the legal circle.

According to Laura Harth, a member of the group, “Since July 2018, there have been at least five new laws or amendments to existing laws that allow the use of travel bans. To date, a total of 15 laws have been enacted in this regard.

The focus on China’s travel ban comes at a time when tensions between China and the United States have risen over trade and security disputes. And the situation contradicts China’s message that it is now opening up to foreign investment and tourism after years of restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A Reuters analysis of travel ban records in China’s Supreme Court database showed an eightfold increase in the number of cases involving such bans between 2016 and 2022.

Most of the cases in this database were civil, not criminal. According to Reuters, none of the cases involved a foreigner or were linked to any political or national security issue.

In contrast, the US or EU countries impose travel restrictions on certain suspects who are involved in crimes, but not in civil cases. China also last week reformed its anti-espionage law, which can ban any Chinese or foreigner under investigation from leaving the country.