China: New Border Decree Curtails Right to Leave

The useful part

Click to expand Image An Air China Boeing 777-300 at Beijing Capital International Airport, April 10, 2025. However, under international human rights law, any legal restrictions on leaving a country must be necessary and proportionate for legitimate aims. 841 consolidate exit restrictions in China's Exit and Entry Administration Law, the Passport Law, and other regulations.

How it works

• However, the new decree appears to further integrate immigration decisions with a tightening national security regulatory framework.
• "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," said Maya Wang, deputy Asia...
• Article 2 of the decree authorizes immigration authorities, "when necessary," t...

Details worth keeping

"The authorities have increasingly subjected human rights defenders and ethnic minorities to restrictions and scrutiny of their international travel, but everyone including foreigners should worry about their ability to leave China." Many provisions of Decree No.