Here’s What Can Happen When You Become an “Enemy of the State”

Guest Post by Mark Nestmann

One of the realities of modern life is that government control over its citizens has become pervasive. Nowhere is that more true than in our right to travel internationally.

Note that I expressed this as a right. That was not a typo.

Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

The US ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1992. But long before then, US courts had recognized the ability to travel as a fundamental human right.

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Will the IRS Take Your Passport?

undefinedA little-noticed provision in the highway funding bill Congress passed this week threatens a right most Americans take for granted: the right to travel abroad. The provision in question gives the Internal Revenue Service the authority to revoke the passport of anyone the IRS claims owes more than $50,000 in back taxes.

Congress is giving the IRS this new power because a decline in gas tax receipts has bankrupted the federal highway trust fund. Of course, Congress would rather squeeze more money from the American people than reduce spending, repeal costly regulations, or return responsibility for highway construction to the states, local governments, and the private sector. On the other hand, most in Congress fear the political consequences of raising gas, or other, taxes. Giving the IRS new powers allows politicians to increase government revenue without having to increase tax rates. Some even brag about how they are “cracking down on tax cheats.”

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This 2nd Passport Just “Doubled” in Value

Dual citizenship, coupled with a second passport, holds numerous benefits. It can:

  • Expand your travel and investment possibilities;
  • Give you the right to reside in another country or countries; and
  • Allow you to cross international borders if your primary passport is lost or stolen.

However, the most compelling reason to obtain a second passport is that it could literally save your life. During World War II, the Nazis stripped German citizenship from hundreds of thousands of Jews and shipped them off to concentration camps. Most died there, but a few thousand fortunate survivors had an escape plan: a second passport they could use to escape the Nazis to freedom.

Thankfully, America allows dual citizenship – you can get a second passport from another country and still maintain your US one.

If you’re thinking about taking this step, now is a great time to do so. That’s because the Commonwealth of Dominica, which has the lowest cost “citizenship-by-investment” program in existence, just announced a major expansion in the number of countries that its citizens can visit without a visa.

Effective June 1, 2015, Dominica passport holders will no longer need visas to visit the “Schengen area” – a total of 26 European countries – for visits up to 90 days. In addition, you can travel to any other Schengen country in this 90-day period. In most cases, you won’t need to show your passport except when crossing borders between Schengen and non-Schengen countries.

With the addition of the Schengen area, Dominica citizens can travel without a visa, or obtain a visa upon entry, to more than 120 countries.

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