When planning a trip abroad - for any reason - it is always a good first step to look into the political situation in that country and its standing with the U.S. government and the international community at large. Obviously, American citizens are free to travel practically anywhere in the world that they wish to go. It doesn't take much effort to circumvent any official travel restrictions that may be in place, but it is always wise to know as much as possible about your intended destination, especially if it represents an increased travel risk for U.S. citizens.
On its website, the U.S. Department of State maintains a running list of Travel Warnings for nations that it deems to present significant dangers to U.S. citizens who may be visiting or passing through. The list is fluid and is updated based on conditions on the ground. Although a country may appear on the list, there may be certain areas of the country where the U.S. government does not believe you will be in any danger. Within each travel warning is a detailed explanation of the rationale for the country being on the Travel Warning list. Some nations may be on the list simply because of a lack of U.S. resources at a consulate or embassy that may be able to assist U.S. citizens in need. But most are listed based on political instability and hostility toward the United States and its citizens.
Currently in the news is the story of three U.S. citizens who have been held in an Iranian prison for nearly one year after being caught just inside the Iran-Iraq border while on a hiking trip. Obviously, that is not an issue of failing to check the Travel Warnings for a given country. Instead, it is much more a case of a blatant disregard for the dangers of that region of the world and a lack of appreciation for the depth of the Iranian hostility toward the United States and its citizens. As a result, three young people are now imprisoned indefinitely and almost certainly without a legitimate cause and there is no telling if or when they will be released. Of course, the Iranian government is out of line with its tactic of hastily arresting people who accidentally crossed over its border in an unpopulated mountainous region while hiking. But U.S. citizens should certainly know better, especially when attempting to move about in that region of the world.
Iraq is globally recognized as an active war zone and Iran is well-known to despise all things American. There likely isn't a more dangerous place on the planet for any foreign citizens, let alone Americans citizens. As this story continues to unfold, there will probably be attempts made to negotiate the release of the prisoners in exchange for some sort of diplomatic quid pro quo - but nothing like that has materialized and it is unlikely that there will be a Bill Clinton-to-North-Korea type of intervention from high profile U.S. leaders or former leaders. Instead, this will probably be a protracted waiting game, with both sides content to let the prisoners wait it out in an Iranian prison while they and their families suffer.
The Iranian hikers example is one of the worst-case scenarios for U.S. citizens traveling abroad, but it is certainly one that should have been avoided. When planning trips abroad to nations that may have strained relations with the U.S., it's important to know exactly what resources may be available to you and to be certain to have appropriate contact information on hand at all times. It may also be beneficial to file official documentation with the U.S. government to inform them of your travels so that they can monitor your safety and quickly intervene if problems arise.
The most recent available Travel Warning list from the U.S. Department of State is accompanied by the date of the most recent update to that nation's status:
- Nigeria 05/24/2010
- Burundi 05/19/2010
- Thailand 05/15/2010
- Cote d'Ivoire 05/12/2010
- Niger 05/11/2010
- Mexico 05/06/2010
- Georgia 05/03/2010
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the 04/21/2010
- Kyrgyz Republic 04/20/2010
- Philippines 04/02/2010
- Algeria 04/02/2010
- Lebanon 03/29/2010
- Iran 03/23/2010
- Kenya 03/16/2010
- Haiti 03/15/2010
- Colombia 03/05/2010
- Eritrea 03/02/2010
- Central African Republic 02/26/2010
- Yemen 02/25/2010
- Iraq 02/25/2010
- Saudi Arabia 02/18/2010
- Pakistan 01/07/2010
- Sudan 12/31/2009
- Somalia 12/31/2009
- Mauritania 12/02/2009
- Chad 11/23/2009
- Mali 11/19/2009
- Sri Lanka 11/19/2009
- Nepal 11/19/2009
- Guinea 10/17/2009
- Israel, the West Bank and Gaza 08/14/2009
- Afghanistan 07/23/2009
- Uzbekistan 06/16/2009
There are also shorter term Travel Alerts issued when situations arise that may present security concerns for U.S. citizens. The most current list of Travel Alerts from the U.S. Department of State is here, along with the date of the alert:
- Jamaica 05/21/2010
- Mozambique 04/30/2010
- India 04/16/2010
- Malaysia 04/16/2010
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