I4S video: Brits abroad – 5,700 arrest cases handled in 2010

Though down by 20% overall, drug arrests continue to be a significant problem in some countries, particularly parts of South America and the Caribbean where a high proportion of total arrests of British citizens are drug related.

Foreign Office minister David Lidington commented: “We work hard to warn British nationals about the consequences of breaking the law abroad so it is really encouraging to see the overall number of cases of arrests and drug arrests falling.”

Lidlington continued: “However, last year there were still 5700 arrests of British nationals overseas. Prison conditions in some parts of the world can be very poor, overcrowded and, in some cases, dangerous and sentences can be much tougher than in the UK.”

The minister added that: “People are mistaken if they think the Foreign Office can get them out of jail. We cannot, but we will work hard to try and ensure their safety and that they receive a fair trial.”

Ignorant of the laws abroad

Foreign Office research reveals that 43% of 18-24 year olds know someone who has taken illegal drugs while abroad. It also shows that two thirds of people in Britain don’t always find out about the laws of the country they are visiting before they go abroad, in turn putting themselves at risk of unknowingly breaking the law.

Nearly a third (32%) of people are not aware that they will always be prosecuted under local law if they break the law abroad (with 6% of people thinking they will be prosecuted under UK law, 22% thinking it depends on the country they are in and 4% admitting to not knowing at all).

Aside from arrests, the British Behaviour Abroad report just published shows that the number of Brits hospitalised abroad has increased to 3,752 cases, despite fewer people from the UK travelling abroad last year.

Medical treatment abroad can be very expensive and to avoid being faced with large bills if taken ill or after having an accident, the Foreign Office is urging people to take out a comprehensive travel insurance policy before they go away this summer.

Previous research suggests that 15% of Britons travel abroad uninsured.

Other key research findings

Spain continues to be the country where most Britons require assistance (4,971 cases) but when visitor and resident numbers are taken into account, individuals are most likely to need consular assistance in the Philippines, Thailand and Pakistan.

The number of rape cases in Greece has almost halved since 2009-2010 (from 27 to 15), although the numbers of sexual assault cases rose significantly.

The number of Brits hospitalised abroad has increased with Spain handling the most cases (1,024) followed by Greece. Proportionally, Brits are most likely to be hospitalised in Thailand.

In total, Foreign Office staff handled 19,228 serious consular cases last year.