Passport discrimination from the lens of critical phenomenological perspective

Purpose Little is known about how international individuals and travelers face and experience discrimination due to their passport. The purpose of this study is to explore factors that contribute to a new form of discrimination, i.e. passport discrimination. There exists a dominant gap in the literature, both empirically and theoretically, which explores this dimension of discrimination. To better understand this central phenomenon, this study amalgamated the concepts from the theories of social identity, self-categorization and system justification. Design/methodology/approach To delve into the essence of the participants’ lived experiences with passport discrimination, this study employed the existential-phenomenological philosophy of a qualitative research design. Data were gathered from personal interviews with 10 passport holders from different Asian countries. Findings The findings of this study revealed that citizens of developing and underdeveloped countries commonly experience passport discrimination in salary structure, promotions, training and hiring processes. Additionally, they face passport discrimination during visa issuance and proceedings at immigration counters. Originality/value This study unlocks the door for researchers to explore new dimensions of discrimination. Future studies may investigate the level of impact of passport discrimination from a human resource perspective through a positivist approach.