A passport can become a tool of control
A passport is more than proof of identity. For a migrant worker, it may be essential for crossing a border, proving who they are, or seeking help from their government. If an employer keeps it and refuses to return it, the worker can be left unable to travel freely or make plans to leave.
That power imbalance matters. A worker who cannot retrieve their own document may feel trapped, particularly if the employer also controls their housing, wages, or transportation. Withholding a passport to restrict someone’s movement can be part of coercion associated with human trafficking—and may itself violate criminal law.
“Safekeeping” depends on who has control
An employer might offer to store passports for convenience. The important difference is whether workers can get their documents back promptly, without permission, pressure, or punishment. Voluntary storage is not the same as keeping a passport against its holder’s wishes.
The label an employer uses does not settle the issue; the practical effect does. If a worker asks for a passport and is denied, delayed, or threatened, the document can function as leverage rather than safekeeping. A passport locked away in an employer’s office can become a barrier to leaving, even if the worker is not physically locked in a building.
