Passports Confiscated: China Tightens Grip on Civil Servants’ Travel

Across China, teachers, nurses, and other public-sector employees are being told to hand in their passports — and in some cases, even retirees must wait years to get them back. What was once a policy aimed at high-ranking officials with access to state secrets has now swept into the ranks of kindergarten staff, doctors, and local government contractors.

Authorities say the rules are meant to protect national security, curb corruption, and cut costs. But critics argue the net has widened far beyond sensitive posts, leaving ordinary workers with little chance to travel abroad without layers of approvals — if they get permission at all.

The clampdown comes as Beijing promotes itself as open for tourism and foreign investment, even as it quietly tightens restrictions at home. For many affected, it’s not just about missing a holiday; it’s about a shrinking sense of personal freedom, now kept “under lock and seal.”

Click here for related report.