Protests Spread Across North Africa - Advice and Information

Summary: As protests spread across North Africa, the FCO warns against all but essential travel to Libya and Algeria. It also recommends that travellers to Morocco should exercise caution.

Read about the protests spreading across the Middle East here.

Libya:

The FCO is currently advising against all but essential travel to Libya. If you do not have a pressing need to remain there, please leave by commercial means if it is safe to do so.

On 22 February, the Foreign Office announced that it will provide a charter plane to travel to Libya in the next 48 hours. If you wish to register an interest in this flight please call 020 7008 0000 from the UK or 021 3403644/45 from Libya. Further details about this flight will be made available soon.

Please also note that the majority of airport offices in Tripoli are closed until further notice.

See more Libya travel advice here.

Contact the British Embassy, Tripoli, Libya on +218 21 335 1084/5/6/7

Background information: Protests against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi have spread to the nation's capital of Tripoli. Security forces have fired on thousands of demonstrators in the eastern city of Benghazi, indicating the brutality of the state.

Please see our in-depth Libya travel alert here for detailed information on the situation.

Morocco:

There are currently no FCO travel restrictions in place for Morocco. However, travellers should still exercise caution.

See more Morocco travel advice here.

Contact the British Embassy, Rabat, Morocco on +212 (0)537 63 33 33

Background information: Peaceful protests against King Mohamed VI's regime have spread across the streets of Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier and Marrakech. Despite a heavy secret police presence, police have practiced restraint, avoiding contact with demonstrators.

Algeria:

The FCO currently advises against all but essential travel to the administrative districts (wilayas) of:

• Boumerdès
• Bouira
• Tizi Ouzou
• Bejaia

Exercise caution if you are heading to:

• Blida and Medea, south of Algiers
• Chlef to the west
• Ain Defla and Bourj Bou Arreridj to the south east of Algiers
• Tamanrasset and Djanet in southern Algeria
• Areas bordering Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Libya and Tunisia

Please note: Journeys within Algeria should be made by air where possible.

Follow more Algeria travel advice here.

Contact the British Embassy, Algiers, Algeria on +213 (0) 770 085 000

Background information: Algeria has also experienced pro-democracy protests over the past month. Although police have dispersed crowds to keep them from marching, no firearms were used. Last week 10,000 people brought the city of Algiers to a halt. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has warned that the longstanding ban on protests in Algiers will remain in place.

General FCO advice for British nationals travelling in these countries:

• Contact your airline to confirm onward travel
• Avoid political gatherings and demonstrations and respect any advice or instruction from the local security authorities
• Follow the news on TV and radio
• Register with the FCO's LOCATE service, or ask a family member in the UK to do so for you
• Do not watch, photograph or be seen taking an interest in demonstrations; security forces may conduct arrests and detentions without warning
• Stay updated with the latest FCO advice for the country you are travelling in

The spread of protests:

While each of these countries has its own grievances, the current wave of protests is said to be largely caused by high unemployment, rising food prices and large, young groups disillusioned with repressive regimes.