In a move that legal scholars are comparing to the isolation doctrines of the Mao era, China has formalized sweeping new powers allowing authorities to bar citizens from leaving the country for up to three years — not merely as punishment for past acts, but as a prospective instrument of political and ideological control. The regulations, which took effect this week, arrive against a backdrop of exponential growth in exit bans, rising from dozens of recorded cases a decade ago to nearly two hundred thousand by last year. What is unfolding in China is an old story in new bureaucratic clothing:
China expands exit bans, tightening control over citizens' international travel
Citizens face indefinite travel bans without written notification or recourse; some fear imprisonment if they challenge restrictions, effectively trapping them within China.