By Fasil Aregay

Claim: Al Ain Amharic reports Ethiopia ranked 93rd globally in passport power, citing Henley Passport Index data, with France, Italy, Germany, Singapore, Japan and Spain leading the list

Verdict: False. Henley Passport Index for 2024 ranks Singapore first with France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain tied for second place. Ethiopia is ranked 94th not 93rd.

On July 7, 2024, Al Ain Amharic, a digital media outlet owned by a UAE company and based in Addis Ababa shared information on its Facebook page claiming that France, Italy, Germany, Singapore, Japan, and Spain all share the first place in the Henley Passport Index rank.

The post also stated that Ethiopia is ranked 93rd globally. This post was shared on Al Ain Amharic Facebook page which has over 730,000 followers and received 621 reactions, 34 comments and 24 shares by the time this article was published. (read more here)

Henley Passport Index is a globally recognized ranking that measures a country’s passport power based on visa free travel access. It utilizes data from the IATA (International Air Transport Association) to compare 199 passports to 227 destinations. 

The claim that France, Italy, Germany, Singapore, Japan and Spain all place the first position in the Henley Passport Index rankings is false.

MFC examined the original source of Henley Passport Index and found that the 2024 global ranking places Singapore at the top with a visa free score of 195. France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain are not in the first position but instead ranked second with a visa free score of 194. Therefore, the claim that these countries are tied for the first place is incorrect.

Al Ain Amharic also reported that Ethiopia is ranked 93rd globally in the Henley Passport Index. However, according to the Henley Passport Index’s 2024 global rankings, Ethiopia actually shares the 94th rank with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

MFC’s examination of the Henley Passport Index’s original data reveals that Al Ain Amharic’s report contains false information. The accurate rankings for 2024 place Singapore in the first position followed by France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain in the second place. Additionally, Ethiopia is ranked 94th globally not 93rd as reported by Al Ain Amharic.

It is crucial for media outlets to ensure the accuracy of their information to maintain public trust and avoid the spread of misinformation.

Readers are encouraged to verify information from credible sources before sharing and to report any misinformation to [email protected]

Context

In Ethiopia, obtaining a passport is challenging and frustrating. Long wait times due to application backlogs and corruption have created a system that felt inefficient and unfair (read here).

According torecent statement of Selamawit Dawit, Director of the Immigration and Citizenship Service, people currently face a maximum wait time of two months to obtain a passport, unless they opt for urgent service (watch here).