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The Canadian government takes the safety and security of it's citizens travelling abroad very seriously. This is why they constantly update their travel advisory board to alert Canadians of any countries that are deemed high risk, dangerous, or even life threatening.
With the recent addition of Venezuela to their ‘Avoid All Travel' list, it's a good idea for all Canadians to check the advisory board before leaving on a trip.
There are 4 levels of risk used to grade how safe a country is to visit:
Exercise normal security precautions
Exercise a high degree of caution
Avoid non-essential travel
Avoid all travel
The Canadian Government has recently updated their advisory boards with 21 countries in total on the “Avoid non-essential travel” and “Avoid all travel” lists.
The 21 Countries The Canadian Government Doesn't Want You To Visit:
Avoid All Travel List
“There is an extreme risk to your personal safety and security. You should not travel to this country, territory or region. If you are already in the country, territory or region, you should consider leaving if it is safe to do so.”
Venezuela – Unstable political and economical conditions, violent crime, lack of basic necessities like medication, food, gas and water.
Central African Republic – Violent crime and unstable security conditions
Burundi – Civil unrest, armed violence and political tensions
Mali – Increase in banditry and threat of terrorism
Somalia – Extremely high threat of domestic terrorism
Afganistan – Extremely high crime rate, risk of kidnapping, terrorism, and instability
Yemen – Deteriorated security and severe safety risk to foreigners
Libya – High crime, high risk of terrorism, armed conflict, and an unpredictable political situation
Iraq – Extremely volatile, unpredictable and dangerous security situation
South Sudan – Inter-ethnic violence, high levels of violent crime, armed conflict
Syria – Ongoing advisory since 2011. Extremely dangerous and unstable, with limited access to leave once in the country
North Korea – Highly oppressive regime and nuclear weapons development
Avoid non-essential travel
“There are specific safety and security concerns that could put you at risk. You should reconsider your need to travel to the country, territory or region. If you are already in the country, territory or region, you should reconsider whether or not you really need to be there. If not, you should consider leaving while it is still safe to do so. It is up to you to decide what “non-essential travel” means, based on family or business requirements, knowledge of or familiarity with a country, territory or region, and other factors.”
Pakistan – Elevated risk of kidnapping, violence and terrorism
Burkina Faso – State of emergency declared for certain areas due to risk of kidnapping and threat of terrorism
Democratic Republic of Congo – Political instability and armed militia
Nigeria – Risk of armed attacks, violence, clashes between communities, kidnapping and an unstable political climate
Chad – Heightened threat of terrorism and violence
Egypt – Unpredictable security situation, terrorist activity and military operations. (Advisory does not include some tourist areas)
Eritrea – Ongoing instability with neighbouring countries
Niger – Elevated risk of terrorism and kidnapping
Mauritania – Elevated risk of terrorism and kidnapping
Exercise a high degree of caution
“There are identifiable safety and security concerns or the safety and security situation could change with little notice. You should exercise a high degree of caution at all times, monitor local media and follow the instructions of local authorities.”
A high degree of caution can be issued for many reasons, and they might not all be crime related. Sometimes the risk level is set higher because of volcanic activity, seismic activity, or risk of other natural disasters.
In most cases, a high degree of caution is issued because of: crime, terrorism, gang violence, petty theft, unstable political situations, areas of civil unrest, social conflicts, strikes, drug trafficking, and other safety issues.
In the case of Netherlands and the United Kingdom being on this list, it’s because of the recent elevation of the threat of terrorism.
If you are thinking of visiting any of the countries on the ‘High Degree of Caution’ list, do your own homework into the area you will be staying in. Many times the tourist areas are completely shielded from the issues stated in the travel advisory, but each case is unique.
Algeria
Angola
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Cameroon
China
Republic of Congo
Costa Rica
Cote d’Ivoire
Djibouti
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Ethiopia
France
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guatemala
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
India
Indonesia
Iran
Israel
Jamaica
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mexico
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
Nicaragua
Oman
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Reunion
Russia
Rwanda
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Exercise normal security precautions
“There are no significant safety and security concerns. The overall safety and security situation is similar to that of Canada. You should take normal security precautions.”
The Canadian Government gives the green light for visiting these countries:
Albania
American Samoa
Andorra
Anguilla
Antartica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azores
Barbados
Belarus
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bonaire
Botswana
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria
Canary Islands
Cayman Islands
Chile
Cook Islands
Croatia
Cuba
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Estonia
Eswatini
Falkland Islands
Fiji
Finland
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Georgia
Germany
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Kiribati
South Korea
Kosovo
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macao
Macedonia
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritius
Mayotte
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Nauru
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Niue
Northern Marianas
Norway
Palau
Panama
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Romania
Saint-Barthelemy
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Serbia
Seychelles
Singapore
Sint Maarten
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tokelau
Tonga
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
United States
Uruguay
Vanuatu
Virgin Islands
Of course, crime and natural disasters can happen to anyone, in any country, despite being regarded as a safe place to travel. Use your head and always keep a sense of caution while travelling to any place, especially for the first time.
All information was taken directly from the Canadian Government's ‘Travel Advice and Advisory” board, which you should visit if you need more info on any particular country or region.