Amateka agaragaza ko igitekerezo cya mbere cya pasiporo cyatangiye mu Bwami bwa Persia mu kinyejana cya gatanu mbere ya Yezu Kristu. Mu gitabo cya Bibiliya cyitwa Nehemiya, havugwa ko Umwami Artaxerxes I yahaye Nehemiya ibaruwa yamwemereraga kunyura mu bihugu bitandukanye nta nkomyi. Iyo baruwa ni imwe mu nyandiko za mbere zifatwa nk'inkomoko ya pasiporo.
Nyuma y'aho, mu Bwami bw'Abaroma no mu bindi bihugu byo mu Burayi, abami n'abategetsi batangaga inyandiko zemereraga abantu gukora ingendo mu mutekano, cyane cyane abacuruzi, intumwa n'abayobozi.
Ijambo passport ryatangiye gukoreshwa mu Burayi hagati mu kinyejana cya 15. Rikomoka ku magambo y'Igifaransa "passer le port", bisobanura "kwambuka icyambu". Icyo gihe, umuntu washakaga kwambuka umupaka cyangwa kwinjira ku cyambu yagombaga kuba afite uruhushya rwanditswe n'ubutegetsi.
Mu binyejana byakurikiyeho, pasiporo ntiyari isabwa kuri buri muntu. Mu bihugu byinshi, abantu bashoboraga gukora ingendo batayifite. Ibi byahindutse cyane nyuma y'Intambara ya Mbere y'Isi (1914–1918). Kubera impungenge z'umutekano n'iyinjira ry'abantu mu bihugu, ibihugu byinshi byatangiye gusaba buri mugenzi kugira pasiporo.
Mu 1920, League of Nations (umuryango wabanjirije Umuryango w'Abibumbye) washyizeho amabwiriza rusange y'imiterere ya pasiporo. Ibyo byatumye ibihugu byinshi bitangira gukoresha pasiporo zisa mu buryo n'ibikubiyemo.
Mu myaka yakurikiyeho, pasiporo zakomeje gutera imbere. Zatangiye gushyirwamo amafoto, umukono wa nyirazo n'ibindi bimenyetso by'umutekano kugira ngo birinde uburiganya.
Uyu munsi, ibihugu byinshi bikoresha biometric passports, zirimo chip ya elegitoroniki ibika amakuru ya nyirayo nk'ifoto, imyirondoro ndetse rimwe na rimwe n'ibikumwe.
Kuki pasiporo ari ingenzi?
Pasiporo ntabwo ari icyangombwa cyo gukora urugendo gusa. Ni inyandiko yemeza ubwenegihugu bw'umuntu kandi igafasha ibihugu kumenya uwinjira n'usohoka ku mipaka yabyo. Ni kimwe mu bikoresho by'ingenzi mu mutekano mpuzamahanga no mu kugenzura abagenzi.
Raporo ya Henley Passport Index isohoka buri mwaka igaragaza imbaraga za pasiporo z'ibihugu bitandukanye, hashingiwe ku mubare w'ibihugu umuntu ashobora kujyamo adasabye visa mbere y'urugendo. Iyi raporo ni imwe mu zikoreshwa cyane mu gupima ubwisanzure bw'ingendo ku rwego mpuzamahanga.
Nubwo uyu munsi pasiporo isa n'igitabo gisanzwe umuntu atwara mu rugendo, amateka yayo agaragaza ko yatangiye nk'ibaruwa y'umwami mbere yo guhinduka kimwe mu byangombwa by'ingenzi ku Isi.
Mu myaka irenga 2,500 ishize, yahindutse ikoranabuhanga ririmo chip zigezweho n'ubwirinzi bukomeye, ariko intego yayo nyamukuru iracyari imwe: kwemerera abantu gukora ingendo mu mutekano no kwemeza abo ari bo.