On 13 October, the global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley and Partners published their passport index for the final quarter of 2020, based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Armenia ranked 77th with a total score of 63, Azerbaijan 73rd with a score of 67 and Georgia 49th with a score of 115. Each passport was scored on the total number of destinations that the holder can access visa-free 

The newest data from Henley and Partners showed that the pandemic has completely upended the seemingly unshakeable hierarchy of global mobility that has dominated the last few decades, with more change still to come. Commenting on the pandemic’s impact on global mobility, Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index concept, says recent developments represent an era-defining shift. “For citizens of wealthy and democratic countries such as Canada, the UK, the US, and Western European nations, travel freedom is something that has been taken for granted for decades. The pandemic has abruptly changed this, and with the significant loss of access and privilege has come a re-evaluation. As countries around the world battle to manage a new category of risk, there’s been a shift away from travel freedom being regarded as the prerogative of nationals with once-powerful passports, towards a realisation that it is now a necessary luxury for those wishing to access first-class education, business opportunities, and quality healthcare for themselves and their families.”

Speaking on the current state of affairs regarding Covid-19 in the South Caucasus, Armenia’s total tally of infected persons stands at 58 624 and 1020 reported deaths; Azerbaijan’s total tally stands at 42 750, with 612 reported deaths, and Georgia’s total tally is now 7159 with 109 reported deaths.