Only a country as complacent as the UK could give up its border privilege so easily | Nesrine Malik

Take it from someone who grew up with a low-ranking' passport - Brexit has made international travel inherently more chaotic and stressful

Whenever I'm flying with someone who is a relaxed traveller - someone who arrives just before check-in closes, then has a full sit-down breakfast while I approach meltdown - I tease them about something I call border privilege". Chances are that relaxed traveller was born with access to a passport that has a high power ranking".

If you don't know what that is, lucky you, for you are probably a holder of a passport that is high on the Henley passport index - a global ranking of countries in terms of the travel freedom their passports enjoy. The higher your passport ranks, the more border privilege" you have - that is, the ability to cross national boundaries with, at best, a sense of excitement and, at worst, mild annoyance at the inconveniences of travel.

Nesrine Malik is a Guardian columnist