The list includes several communist dictatorships and also Islamist dictatorships

Countries that prohibit people from going out and are barely criticized by the left

ES 8·30·2024 · 6:02 0

In the immigration debate, there are many people who declare themselves in favour of open borders, but with nuances.

The '13 de Marzo': the murder of 11 children and 30 men and women by Cuban communism
The Bernauer Strasse tunnels in Berlin: underground routes to escape communism

They focus on countries that restrict immigration

These people (many of them belonging to the political, media or intellectual left) tend to focus their criticism on democratic countries that regulate immigration, denouncing the expulsion of illegal immigrants and claiming that they should be regularized. It must be said that regulating immigration is logical and implies understanding a country as a house, in which its inhabitants have the right to establish certain limits on the people who wish to enter and stay to live within its borders.

Countries that are like prisons for their citizens

In terms of migration, what is criticizable is not that a country is like a house, but that it is like a prison, from which its own inhabitants cannot leave or where the conditions for leaving are so strict or expensive that they are not within the reach of the majority. Those of us who lived through the Cold War remember some examples of countries like these: the communist dictatorships of the Soviet bloc, countries in which many were killed trying to flee to the free world.

In these countries, it was not only difficult to leave, but there were even restrictions on movement within the country, as was the case in the Soviet Union, where in 1922 the so-called Propiska was instituted, an internal passport without which you could not travel within the country. Today it seems incredible that something like this existed, but there are still countries where similar situations occur.

The most extreme case: the communist dictatorship of North Korea

The clearest case is North Korea, a communist dictatorship that is the most secretive state in the world. Fleeing to South Korea is very difficult, due to the demilitarized zone between the two countries, which is subject to heavy surveillance. Many North Koreans manage to flee to communist China, but it is a very risky journey and if you are captured, having tried to flee can cost you being branded a traitor and being executed or being sent to a concentration camp for many years, both you and the rest of your family.

Political exit bans in communist China

Although the image it wants to give to the world is very different, Communist China is also a dictatorship in which the state imposes exit bans for political reasons. The international law firm Harris Sliwoski, which operates in that Asian country, points out the control that the Communist Party of China (CPC) exercises over exit bans for both Chinese citizens and foreigners:

"You should assume that the CPC knows virtually everything you’ve ever said about China publicly or quasi-publicly (and even some things privately), including specifically anything you’ve ever said at a college or university, anything you’ve ever said to a China-related NGO, and anything you’ve ever said to one of your Chinese employees. (...) If someone at your company has said something bad about China, everyone at your company is at increased risk. (...) Anyone who has worked for an anti-China media outlet, or for an anti-China think tank, university, political party, or politician is likely at increased risk."

That is why I would never think of visiting that country, since I have been criticizing that dictatorship for many years and denouncing its influence in Spain and other countries. The aforementioned law firm also points out that people from certain countries run a greater risk of not being able to leave:

"China has a history of mistreatment of Africans and Filipinos, including detentions without real reason. People from small countries that China doesn't like, such as Lithuania, are at greater risk. People from large countries that China doesn't like, such as the United States and Japan, are at greater risk."

Currently there are already thousands of people who are prohibited from leaving communist China and the number is increasing, restrictions that affect both Chinese and foreigners.

Cuba, an island turned into a prison by communism

Other communist dictatorships that impose exit restrictions on their citizens. In the case of Cuba, the communist regime of the Castro brothers prohibited Cuban citizens from leaving for decades, unless they had a permit that was difficult to obtain. Despite this, many Cubans tried to flee by boat to Florida, United States, often meeting death on the journey or being killed, as happened to 11 children and 30 adults on the ship "13 de marzo" in 1994.

In 2013, a law came into force that eliminates the exit permit in Cuba, but even today the dictatorship imposes a very high price for the passport, equivalent to several months' salary of an average citizen, in addition to political conditions such as national security, interpreted according to the interests of the dictatorship and which systematically vetoes the exit of any opponent of the regime. On the other hand, Cuban citizens who want to leave the country have to leave almost all their assets there. This means that, in practice, things in Cuba remain the same as before the aforementioned law.

The case of the little-known communist dictatorship of Eritrea

Another communist dictatorship that imposes exit restrictions and is little known in the West is Eritrea, an African country under a brutal totalitarian regime in which people of both sexes are subjected to indefinite military service, which in practice can last from the age of 18 to 50. All those affected are subjected to military discipline, and as a result many young people try to flee to Ethiopia or Sudan, but not many succeed.

Exit restrictions in Iran's Islamist dictatorship

There are other dictatorships that impose exit restrictions for political reasons. This is the case of the Islamist dictatorship of Iran. Its policy of serious discrimination against women leads many of them to want to leave the country, but they cannot do so without parental permission, if they are single, or permission from their husband, if they are married. The Islamist regime also prohibits men over 18 years of age who have not yet completed military service from leaving the country, which lasts 24 months. This leads many young Iranians to try to leave the country illegally, with the consequent risks.

In addition, the Iranian dictatorship, like communist China, imposes politically motivated exit bans, which not only affect citizens critical of the Islamist regime, but also their families. In 2022, Iran landed a plane carrying the family of Iranian footballer Ali Daei, a Bayern Munich player who had criticized the dictatorship for its brutal repression of protests in that country.

Exit restrictions in the Islamist dictatorship of Saudi Arabia

Another Islamist dictatorship, Saudi Arabia, also imposes exit bans similar to those in Iran, systematically banning exit permits for critics of the regime, those defending the rights of women – victims of serious discrimination under Islamic law – or anyone who has expressed disagreement with the government. As in Iran, these bans affect not only dissidents, but also their families.

---

Photo: AFP-JIJI. A military parade in Pyongyang on October 10, 2015.

Share this post!
World                

Don't miss the news and content that interest you. Receive the free daily newsletter in your email:

Opina sobre esta entrada:

Debes iniciar sesión para comentar. Pulsa aquí para iniciar sesión. Si aún no te has registrado, pulsa aquí para registrarte.

  • Most read