More and more countries are unsafe to travel to

Many more countries have become more dangerous to travel in recent years. This is evident from a comparison made by the NOS between the travel advice issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2010 and 2015. This mainly concerns countries in the middle and north of Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia.

In 2010, six countries were so unsafe that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised not to go there at all. This advice now applies to thirteen countries, such as Yemen, Libya, Sierra Leone and Syria.

It is also now recommended for more countries to travel there only in necessary cases. That number rose from 13 to 22. This applies, for example, to most of Egypt, Liberia and Eritrea.
Arabic spring

In many countries, increased insecurity is a direct consequence of the Arab Spring, which broke out at the end of December 2010. This wave of uprisings, protests and revolutions broke out in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Syria.

In other countries, the unsafe situation can be attributed to the rise of Islamic groups (think of Boko Haram in Niger, Islamic State in Iraq) or ethnic conflicts, such as in Yemen. Natural disasters, such as the earthquake in Nepal, or the outbreak of diseases, such as Ebola in West Africa, can also lead to an unsafe situation.

Travel advisories provide information about safety in a country. They are intended for all Dutch people who travel abroad or stay there for a longer period of time. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs compiles them on the basis of information from various sources, including the Dutch embassies and consulates. Employees visit areas to assess the security situation and speak with local authorities. Information is also used from other ministries, other EU countries, intelligence services, companies and NGOs in the area.

At the moment, travel advice is consulted about 100.000 times a month. In addition, the app has already been downloaded 80.000 times.

Source: NOS.nl