New York, Sept 2026 : US-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has raised concerns over a new Chinese government decree that it says gives administrative authorities broad powers to prevent people from leaving the country, potentially violating the internationally recognised right to leave one’s country.
According to HRW, the decree came into effect on September 15 and allows authorities to impose exit restrictions on Chinese nationals and foreigners for a range of reasons linked to national security and perceived risks. The rights organisation said the grounds for imposing such restrictions are not sufficiently defined.
HRW said international human rights law permits restrictions on the right to leave a country only when they are necessary and proportionate to legitimate objectives.
“The Chinese government is tightening its rules to decide arbitrarily who can and cannot leave China, violating the internationally protected right to leave one’s country,” Maya Wang, Deputy Asia Director at HRW, said.
Wang added that Chinese authorities had increasingly subjected human rights defenders and ethnic minorities to restrictions and scrutiny over international travel. She said the implications could extend to foreigners as well, particularly those concerned about their ability to leave China.
HRW also cited cases involving foreign nationals who were allegedly prevented from leaving the country without being charged with criminal offences. The organisation said that in July 2025, Chinese authorities blocked a US federal employee and a Wells Fargo bank executive from leaving China.
The rights group contrasted the current situation with changes introduced in the early 2000s. It noted that, with the exception of people from Xinjiang and Tibetan areas, Chinese citizens had generally gained greater ease in travelling abroad after 2002, when China’s Ministry of Public Security introduced an “on demand” system intended to simplify passport applications.
However, HRW said exit controls had become stricter over the past decade. According to the organisation, Chinese authorities have introduced additional travel restrictions affecting religious minorities and human rights defenders.
The group also highlighted the situation of Uyghurs, saying that although some have been permitted to travel overseas, significant restrictions remain. HRW pointed to the confiscation of previously issued passports by authorities in Xinjiang in 2016 as one factor contributing to continued difficulties in international travel.
The organisation criticised the new decree on the grounds that Chinese laws allowing authorities to broadly restrict the departure of citizens and foreign nationals on the basis of what it described as vague claims could fall short of international human rights standards.
HRW further warned that expanded exit controls could have wider implications for freedom of expression and academic freedom. It argued that people could become more reluctant to express views, conduct research or engage in activities that authorities might consider sensitive if they fear being prevented from travelling abroad.
“China’s exit restrictions will further chill expression and academic freedom, increasing self-censorship by Chinese nationals and foreigners fearful of being barred from leaving the country,” Wang said.
She urged governments concerned about the issue to raise it with Chinese authorities and support their citizens who may be affected by exit restrictions.
The new decree has therefore drawn attention to the balance between national security measures and individuals’ freedom of movement, with HRW calling for greater clarity and safeguards in the implementation of China’s exit-control rules.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
