Press Releases: U.S. Department of State Announces Updates to Safety and Security Messaging for U.S. Travelers

On April 9, 2019, the Department of State introduced a new risk indicator to our public Travel Advisories in order to communicate more clearly to U.S. citizens the risks of kidnapping and hostage taking by criminal and terrorist actors around the world. The new “K” indicator is part of our ongoing commitment to provide clear and comprehensive travel safety information to U.S. citizens so they can make informed travel decisions.

The Department issues Travel Advisories for every country around the world, offering standardized levels of advice based on established risk indicators such as crime, terrorism, civil unrest, natural disasters, health, and other potential risks. The Travel Advisories for 35 countries have been updated to include a “K” indicator for the risk of kidnapping and/or hostage taking: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russian Federation, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine (in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine), Venezuela, and Yemen. See the full Travel Advisories for more details: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html.

The U.S. Department of State has no greater responsibility than the safety and welfare of Americans overseas. The Bureau of Consular Affairs works closely with the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs and the entire U.S. interagency to serve and protect Americans overseas and to prevent and resolve cases of kidnapping and hostage taking. We will continue to update our public information as part of our ongoing commitment to serve U.S. citizens as they travel abroad.

For press inquiries, please contact CAPRESSREQUESTS@state.gov.

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