Passports Were Only Supposed To Be A Temporary "War" Measure

In 1914, warring states of France, Germany, and Italy were the first to make passports mandatory to regulate travel. By the end of World War I, the regime of obligatory passports was widespread.

To facilitate freedom of movement, many countries agreed instead to establish a uniform, international passport. This is how we ended up with the format of the passports we use today.

Throughout the 20th century, governments considered the “total abolition” of passports as an important goal, and even discussed the issue at several international conferences.

Now, neither the public nor governments consider passports as a serious obstacle to freedom of movement. "It takes less than a century, it seems, to see the absence of freedom as a natural condition."

https://fee.org/articles/passports-were-a-temporary-war-measure/