Foreign Office to issue warnings to UK travellers visiting potential target zones
DETAILED warnings will be issued to UK citizens travelling to potential terror targets abroad after the Berlin attack.
The Foreign Office has announced plans to provide fuller accounts of the risks faced by Britons travelling to certain areas of the world.
Last month the US State Department warned Americans travelling in Europe over Christmas there was credible evidence that so-called Islamic State (IS) and other terror groups were planning an attack. The US encouraged citizens to be vigilant around “holiday festivals, events and outdoor markets”.
Now Britain’s Foreign Office has said it will reform how it issues travel advice to include more information about targets and the likelihood of an attack.
Tourists will also be told the locations of previous attacks, the tactics terrorists have used, which groups are thought to be active in the area and what the host country is doing to actively counter the threat.
The changes will be phased in in the coming months.
In a written ministerial statement, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the threat from terrorism was “evolving”.
The main international terrorist groups – IS, Al Qaeda and their affiliates – “continue to pose a threat to UK interests globally, including British travellers”, he added.
In particular, there has been a “growth of so-called lone wolf attacks”, like that in Berlin, “which are difficult to predict and disrupt and could take place in almost any country”.
He added: “I am confident these changes will ensure our travel advice continues to provide effective information to help British travellers make informed decisions about their personal travel plans and security overseas.”
In November the State Department warned US citizens to be alert “to the heightened risk of terrorist attacks throughout Europe, particularly during the holiday season. US citizens should exercise caution at holiday festivals, events, and outdoor markets.”