The Nansen Pass(port) | by Tom Topol
In the wake of the First World War, circa 1920, a sweeping wave of displacement swept across nations, uprooting a staggering number of people-up to 9.5 million souls, including a substantial cohort of Russian refugees. This human exodus posed profound challenges for Europe, grappling with the unprecedented influx of displaced individuals.
Amidst this turbulent landscape, Fridtjof Nansen, a distinguished Norwegian diplomat entrusted with the mantle of High Commissioner for Refugee Affairs at the League of Nations, ardently championed the cause for an internationally recognized travel and identification document. The culmination of his tireless efforts materialized on that momentous day, July 5, 1922, when the League of Nations, convening in the hallowed chambers of Geneva, officially ushered in a remarkable document of hope-the renowned “Nansen Passport.”
VLADIMIR NABOKOV famously referred to it as a “highly inferior document of sickly green hue.” The Russian writer arrived in Berlin in 1922 and experienced the arduous burden associated with applying for this document:
“Its possessor was little more than a criminal on probation, burdened with immense difficulties whenever he wished to travel abroad — the smaller the countries, the more obstacles they presented.”
While the Nansen Passport did not guarantee its holder a permanent residence, it did afford certain rights and consular assistance, such as the official certification of their identity or marital status. Thus, it served as an initial supranational solution for an internationally recognized proof of identity and a travel document.
How did the Nansen Passport come into existence?
Following the February Revolution, the abdication of the Tsar, and the Bolsheviks’ rise to power in October 1917, numerous societal groups found themselves subjected to persecution, confiscation, and repression. The subsequent Civil War and the establishment of the Soviet Union in 1922 further exacerbated the situation. A direct consequence of these developments was the emigration from Russia: well over a million people-some estimates even suggest up to two million-were forced into exile.
After the formation of the Soviet Union in 1922, all individuals who had previously left the country were rendered stateless in a formal sense. In response to this predicament, the renowned Norwegian polar explorer and then High Commissioner for Refugee Affairs at the League of Nations, Fridtjof Nansen, spearheaded the introduction of the so-called Nansen Passport in 1922 as an international travel and identification document.
The objective was to provide individuals without citizenship with a minimum degree of protection and freedom of movement. Although the passport had to be renewed annually and did not grant permanent residency, it did allow for re-entry into the issuing country.
The officials at the League of Nations
initially anticipated eventual repatriation, but this assumption proved to be an illusion. Many refugees were unable or unwilling to return to their countries of origin. For instance, the Russian emigrants found themselves without citizenship after the establishment of the Soviet Union, unable to have their identities authenticated by a recognized state.
The Passport
initially intended solely for Russian emigrants, it gradually expanded its reach to include other refugee groups: Armenians in 1924 and other Christian minorities from the former Ottoman Empire in 1928. Fridtjof Nansen, the visionary behind this initiative, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922 in recognition of his humanitarian endeavors.
