UK Warns Citizens About Dangers of Travelling To Afghanistan

The UK Foreign Office warned its citizens about the dangers of travelling to Afghanistan and asked them not to travel to this country.

In a statement on Friday, the UK Foreign Office wrote, "Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Afghanistan."

The statement specifically warned of the risk of "terrorist attacks" around religious sites throughout Afghanistan as well as airports.

While the Taliban have been talking about providing security across Afghanistan for more than two years, the British Foreign Office’s statement stated that the security situation in Afghanistan is unstable.

It also warned about the risk of arrest and detention of British nationals in Afghanistan. The statement added that the British government may not be aware of the detention of its citizens, and as there are significant challenges in communication and consular services, detainees may not be able to contact their relatives and the period of detention may be very long.

Over the last two years, the Taliban has arrested dozens of foreign citizens, including American, British and French nationals.

Detainees in Taliban prisons can hardly contact their family members or have access to a lawyer.

Previously, international human rights organisations have said that the principles of fair trial are not observed in Taliban detention centres and courts. Access to a fair trial is more difficult for Afghan citizens who are imprisoned in Taliban prisons than foreigners.

The statement of the British Foreign Office states that there is no British consular official in Afghanistan and the ability of the ministry to provide consular assistance is severely limited.

It added, "If you are a British national already resident in Afghanistan, you should carefully consider the risk to your safety and security from staying there. The situation could change quickly and without warning."