"Submit Passports to School"... China Blocks Teachers, Students, and Bankers from Emigrating During Vacation

Expansion of Overseas Travel Restrictions... Authorities Demand Passport Submission

Photo by China CCTV Capture

Reports have emerged that China is expanding restrictions on overseas travel for teachers, students, and bankers ahead of the summer vacation. Numerous posts on social networking services (SNS) have reported that authorities have demanded the submission of passports or required exit permits.

On the 22nd, the U.S.-based Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported this news and shared the contents of a notice issued on June 25 in an unnamed prefecture. The notice stated that the education authorities instructed all school staff to submit their passports to the school Communist Party office. RFA explained that the Party office is a new administrative office established as part of the Chinese Communist Party’s latest efforts to directly control universities.

There is also a notice circulated by a Chinese citizen journalist on X (formerly Twitter) under the username 'Li Seonsaengnim Neun Dangsinui Seonsaengnim I Anida' (李老師不是?老師). The notice states that "the Party office will create a list, and the personnel department of the local education authority will keep the information." Along with this, a document form that must be completed before applying for a passport and approved by the employer was also posted.

Critics say these successive announcements appear to target teachers and students planning to study abroad or emigrate. RFA pointed out, "The Xi Jinping administration has long imposed travel bans on human rights activists, lawyers, and dissidents, but during the three years of the 'Zero COVID' period, searches on Chinese search portals about immigration methods surged, leading to strengthened practices of passport confiscation." It added, "Sources say that even though pandemic restrictions have ended, travel bans effectively continue and are not limited to the education sector."

An employee in the banking sector in Guangdong Province told RFA, "Those working in the banking system currently must apply for exit at least ten working days in advance." He added, "There is a limit on the number of times one can leave the country within a certain period." He continued, "Some cities allow overseas travel only once a year, while others permit it twice. Basically, the authorities are trying to discourage people from wanting to leave China."

A resident of Wuhan with family members working in education told RFA that traveling to Hong Kong requires multiple levels of approval and must be reported to the local education authorities. He said, "Some teachers may now be prohibited from taking their children abroad during the summer vacation."