India has become the latest country to issue a safety warning to citizens traveling to the United Kingdom due to anti-immigration protests and riots.
Australia, Nigeria, Malaysia and Indonesia have already given advice to their nationals living in or visiting the UK to stay away from demonstrations.
The Indian High Commission in London has stated that it is "closely monitoring the situation" and has advised Indian visitors to remain vigilant and follow the guidance of local security agencies. "Visitors from India are advised to stay vigilant and exercise due caution while traveling in the UK," the High Commission said in a post on X.
Advisory for Indian Citizens visiting the UK.@VDoraiswami @sujitjoyghosh @MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/i2iwQ7E3Og
— India in the UK (@HCI_London) August 6, 2024
Australia’s government told its citizens to “exercise a high degree of caution”, adding: “Avoid areas where protests are occurring due to the potential for disruption and violence”, in an update to its UK travel advice on Monday.
A "travel alert" by Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, based in the capital Abuja, stated that there is "an increased risk of violence and disorder occasioned by the recent riots in the UK", noting that "the violence has assumed dangerous proportions".
It went on: "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."
Malaysia was the first country to issue a safety warning to its citizens about travel to the UK due to the violence seen in UK towns and cities.
The south-east Asian country's ministry of foreign affairs published an alert on Sunday advising Malaysians living in or visiting the UK to "stay away" from protest areas and "remain vigilant".
It also "strongly encouraged" people to register with the High Commission of Malaysia in London to "receive timely information and assistance".
The Indonesian embassy in London also issued a warning, advising its citizens in the UK to avoid large crowds and increase their vigilance.
Violence has broken out in towns and cities in England and Northern Ireland following the killing of three young girls at a dance class in Southport last week. More than 420 people have been arrested so far after social media disinformation about the killings whipped up far-right violence.
Keir Starmer has vowed rioters would "regret" engaging in "far-right thuggery" after days of escalating violence as the Government announced emergency security for mosques amid the threat of further disorder.
On Monday the Prime Minister held an emergency Cobra meeting to discuss the government’s response, afterwards announcing a"standing army" of specialist police officers is being assembled to crack down on rioting.
He also vowed to "ramp up criminal justice", with courts being granted permission to stay open 24 hours a day to deal with the thugs involved in the violence.Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said there was "no excuse" for the violence across the UK at the weekend, warning "there will be a reckoning" for those who took part.
It comes after ugly scenes of anti-immigration rioters attacking police and smashing the windows of a hotel in Rotherham on Sunday as the atmosphere turned increasingly febrile on a sixth day of unrest in England.
Masked men launched lengths of wood and sprayed fire extinguishers at officers outside a Holiday Inn Express, with some storming past a police line and into the ground floor, which was set on fire during the disorder.
At least 10 officers were injured, including one who was knocked unconscious, South Yorkshire Police confirmed later, saying one person was already arrested and others involved should "expect us to be at their doors very soon".
Staffordshire Police warned people to stay away from the Holiday Inn, Tamworth, which was hit with "violent acts of thuggery" and one officer was injured.
A spokesman said: "A large group of individuals are in the area and have been throwing projectiles, smashing windows, starting fires and targeting police."
Meanwhile, a group of rioters in Middlesbrough smashed the windows of houses and cars and hurled objects at officers on Sunday afternoon, with one seen shouting a racial slur and another telling police: "It's our f****** country."
It follows similar scenes of unrest in Southport, Belfast, Hartlepool, Hull, Liverpool, Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham, Sunderland and elsewhere earlier last week.
Many countries around the world, including the US, Germany and Denmark, issued travel advice to their citizens following riots in England in summer 2011.
