The UK is being racked by anti-immigrant riots. Is it safe to travel there? (2024)

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Is it safe to travel to the United Kingdom?

A growing number of nations have warned their citizens to exercise caution while in the UK.

The advisories come after the UK has witnessed multiple anti-immigration riots following the murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed event in northern England’s Southport last week.

The accused in the case, Axel Rudakubana, 17, was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents.

However, a number of posts on social media falsely claimed that Rudakubana was a refugee who arrived to the UK last year on a small boat.

But which countries have warned their citizens against travelling to the UK? And what do we know about the violence?

Let’s take a closer look:

Which countries have warned citizens?

India, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia have all asked citizens to be on their guard while in the UK.

“Indian travellers would be aware of recent disturbances in some parts of the United Kingdom. The High Commission of India in London is closely monitoring the situation,” read the 6 August message entitled ‘Advisory for Indian Citizens Visiting the UK.’

“Visitors from India are advised to stay vigilant and exercise due caution while travelling in the UK. It is advisable to follow local news and advisories issued by local security agencies, and to avoid areas where protests are underway,” it added.

The advisory posted on the social media channels of the Indian mission also provided emergency contact information for anyone in need of urgent assistance.

Australia on Tuesday similarly warned its citizens to “avoid areas where protests are occurring due to the potential for disruption and violence,” as per The Independent.

It asked its citizens to “exercise a high degree of caution in the UK due to the threat of terrorism” and “monitor the media for information and updates”.

The UAE embassy, meanwhile, asked its citizens to “exercise the highest level of caution” and “take the necessary precautions” in light of the unstable security situation in various cities across the UK.

“Furthermore, the Ministry warns UAE nationals against visiting areas witnessing riots and protests, and to avoid crowded areas. UAE citizens must adhere to the warnings issued by the UAE Embassy in London, and comply with all safety instructions.”

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also advises UAE citizens on the importance of remaining in contact with the Embassy in London in case of emergency, or suspicion of any potential danger.”

Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in an advisory noted “an increased risk of violence and disorder occasioned by the recent riots in the UK.”

It added that “the violence has assumed dangerous proportions”.

“Demonstrations by far right and other extra-parliamentary groups in parts of the UK in recent weeks have been large, and in some instances unruly,” it stated.

The High Commission of Malaysia in a statement said, “Malaysians residing in or travelling to the United Kingdom are urged to stay away from protest areas, remain vigilant and follow the latest updates and guidance provided by local authorities.”

It strongly urged citizens to register to “receive timely information and assistance,” as per The Independent.

Sweden’s Embassy in London has ‘strongly recommended’ that citizens avoid large crowds.

“Since the beginning of August, riots have taken place in several British cities, motivated by xenophobia. It is strongly recommended to avoid large crowds,” it said, as per Daily Mail.

Indonesia too warned its citizens to avoid large crowds and stay vigilant.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has also issued a statement condemning the violence which it said was “fuelled by hatred.”

What do we know about the violence?

Birmingham in the north and Plymouth in southern England witnessed the latest scenes of clashes between two sets of protesters overnight on Monday.

As per The Times of India, several police officers in Plymouth were injured after being attacked with bricks and fireworks by miscreants

A man is in hospital after being attacked in a suspected hate crime in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

As per The Guardian, the man, in his 50s, is in serious condition.

According to the newspaper, assailants attacked the man and stamped on his head.

As per The Times of India, the rioters had been attempting to set ablaze a shop owned by a foreign national.

A young boy in Belfast was also assaulted, as per The Guardian.

An assault on a young boy in Belfast is being investigated as a hate crime by police.

Police said the boy sustained a minor facial injury after being attacked by up to 10 youths.

Meanwhile, police officers were attacked with bricks in Darlington, northern England.

As per The Independent, the weekend saw riots in a number of cities including Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester, Hull, Belfast, and Stoke.

Around 400 people have been arrested as far-right protesters have clashed with the police and members of anti-fascist groups on the streets.

As per CNBC, the towns of Rotherham, Middlesbrough have also witnessed unrest along with Leeds and Hull.

London, thankfully, seems to have escaped unscathed thus far.

The Metropolitan Police has vowed to protect London from “one of the worst spates of violent disorder in the last decade,” as per The Guardian.

Rioters have taken up racist, anti-immigration and anti-Muslim slogans. Buildings have been vandalised and shops have been looted, according to CNBC.

Mosques have been attacked with bricks and petrol bombs.

One hotel in Yorkshire’s Rotherham, which some believed to have been home to asylum seekers, was set ablaze.

As per The Guardian, 51 police officers were hurt during riots outside the hotel.

Police said its officers suffered broken bones, a concussion, head wounds and bruising.

One Jordan Parlour has pleaded guilty to stirring up racial hatred during the riots.

Parlour put up messages on Facebook about attacking a hotel in Leeds housing asylum seekers.

The 28-year-old has been sent to custody ahead of his Friday sentencing, as per the newspaper.

The British Tourist Authority, told CNBC it is keeping an eye on things.

“Demand for travel to Britain remains strong and we continue to welcome many millions of visitors from all over the world. We are working closely with our overseas teams to monitor travel sentiment and to ensure our international travel trade partners have the latest information available, as necessary,” a spokesperson said.

‘Serious acts of violence’

The British government said it has accelerated its plans to deal with prison capacity to ensure sufficient space for an expected rise in prisoners due to rioting after hundreds of arrests have been made.

“I think we have seen serious acts of violence designed to cause terror to a section of our community,” Neil Basu, the former head of counter-terrorism policing, told the BBC.

Basu also blamed social media companies for not taking tough enough action to clampdown on misinformation and said “we should be appealing” to advertisers to cut the funding of social media giants if responsibility was not exercised.

Meanwhile, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology are investigating the role of foreign state actors amplifying misinformation and disinformation about the UK riots, including cracking down on automated online bots.

“Clearly we have seen bot activity online, much of which may well be amplified with the involvement of state actors amplifying some of the disinformation and misinformation that we’ve seen,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s official spokesperson, but declined to say which states may be involved.

On Monday after a high-level COBRA security meeting, Starmer pledged a “standing army” of specialist officers to stamp out the riots across several cities in the country, which he has termed as “far-right thuggery.” “I’ve asked for the early consideration of the earliest naming and identification of those involved in the process, who will feel the full force of the law,” he said.

Many of his own Labour Party MPs and opposition members are calling for Parliament to be recalled from its summer recess to debate the issue, but Starmer has so far insisted the government needs to focus on restoring calm on the streets.

“This is not protest, it is pure violence. We will have a standing army of public duty officers. We will ramp up criminal justice. We will apply criminal law online as well as offline. We will not tolerate attacks on mosques or on Muslim communities,” Starmer wrote on X.

With inputs from agencies

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