Henley & Partners Q2 Passport Index Report released

The global consulting firm Henley & Partners specialised in residence and citizenship planning has published its latest Passport Index, which ranks the most powerful passports in the world based on the travel freedom that each passport holder enjoys.
The war impact 
While the top of the list has stayed relatively stable, the lower part has changed due to the Ukraine war.   
Since the beginning of the conflict, many countries have either amended their entry policies or waived visa requirements for Ukrainian nationals, which has significantly increased the value of the Ukrainian passport.
In the Q2 2022 ranking, Ukraine has risen one place to 34th as its nationals can now travel to 143 destinations visa-free (or visa-on-arrival). Russia has moved down four spots to 49th, with open travel to 117 countries. As sanctions are being extended, its position is expected to drop further. 
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has reminded us of the volatility of the world, the way in which atrocities and hostilities can result in massive displacement, and how your passport impacts the opportunities available to you.  
"As the value of the Russian passport rapidly declines and the world opens its doors to Ukrainians, it is abundantly clear that the passport you hold determines your fate and dramatically impacts the opportunities you have," wrote Christian H. Kaelin, chair of Henley & Partners and creator of the passport index concept. 
The EU, the USA, and Canada have banned Russian flights from their airspace and some countries have stopped issuing visas to Russian citizens "effectively condemning the Russian passport to junk status throughout much of the developed world," the report by Henley & Partners says.

Japan and Singapore top the list 
Japan and Singapore have retained their leadership positions allowing their citizens visa-free travel to 198 countries.
The Afghan passport has ranked last again with only 26 visa-free destinations accessible.   
The UK, which lifted all Covid-19 restrictions last month, has scored 187 and climbed one place up to rank fifth sharing the position with France, Ireland and Portugal. 
The United States maintains the No. 6 spot, with 186 destinations, sitting alongside Belgium, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland.
The world’s most powerful passports in 2022:
1. Japan, Singapore (192 destinations)
2. Germany, South Korea (190 destinations)
3. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain (189 destinations)
4. Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden (188 destinations)
5. France, Ireland, Portugal, UK (187 destinations)
6. Belgium New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, USA (186 destinations)
7. Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Greece, Malta (185 destinations)
8. Hungary (183 destinations)
9. Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia (182 destinations)
10. Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia (181 destinations)
The world’s least powerful passports in 2022:
The following countries have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to fewer than 40 countries:
105. North Korea (39 destinations)
106. Nepal and Palestinian territories (37 destinations)
107. Somalia (34 destinations)
108. Yemen (33 destinations)
109. Pakistan (31 destinations)
110. Syria (29 destinations)
111. Iraq (28 destinations)
112. Afghanistan (26 destinations)
Sources: cnn.com, henleyglobal.com