Over the last two weeks, the U.S. State Department has reissued travel advisories for a number of European nations.
While their official rankings remain unchanged at a respective “normal precautions” and “exercise increased caution”, Switzerland and France were both inexplicably singled out for certain risks that travelers from the U.S. can come across while traveling through the countries.
Belgium was another nation that received a reupped advisory over “risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other related activities” in large cities like Brussels.
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‘Pickpocketing and phone thefts are common’: U.S. government on France
France, which for years has been under the level two “exercise increased caution” ranking over similar instances of terrorist attacks in Paris and other large cities, also received a new travel advisory on May 28.
The four-tier system used by multiple countries assigns the first ranking to countries that are just as or even safer than home while the fourth “do not travel” level is assigned to war zones and governments with which the U.S. does not have diplomatic ties.
Related: US government issues sudden warning on Switzerland travel
“Pickpocketing and phone thefts are common, especially in crowded places,” the updated advisory for France now reads. “Terrorist groups continue to plan possible attacks in France and may attack with little to no warning. There are also regular, peaceful protests and strikes in Paris and other cities throughout France.”
Airport, metro stations and train stations are named as places where pickpocketing is most common while crowded tourist attractions, transportation hubs, shopping centres and large cultural gatherings are singled out as being at higher risk of seeing terrorist attacks.
Safety tips for travelers in France include remaining “alert at tourist locations and crowded public places” and “avoid[ing] demonstrations and areas with significant police activity.”
An overhead photograph captures a beach club in Marseille, France.
Veronika Bondarenko
Traveling to France? The government issued new safety tips
“Follow the instructions of local authorities including movement restrictions related to any ongoing police action,” the advisory reads further.
Such guidance is similar to what is issued for other countries that are under the level two rating; in Europe, that includes Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.
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“There is risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other activity in Italy,” the new advisory for Italy reads in very similar wording. “[…] Terrorists may attack with little or no warning.”
Other than saying that such advisories are “reissued after periodic reviews with minor edits”, the State Department provided no information on why it has issued advisories at this time or singled out the countries that it has in particular.
Since Trump was inaugurated on Jan. 20 and prioritized his administration to crack down on illegal immigration, multiple countries issued similar advisories for citizens traveling to the U.S. after a number of high-profile stories in which even those coming to the country legally as tourists were detained.
“A criminal conviction in the United States, false information regarding the purpose of stay, or even a slight overstay of the visa upon entry or exit can lead to arrest, detention, and deportation upon entry or exit,” Germany’s Foreign Ministry wrote in an advisory reissued in March.
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