British diplomat advocates for cautionary advisory from UK authorities to prospective travelers visiting Egypt
In the current scenario, British-Egyptian activist and author Alaa Abd El-Fattah continues to languish in Egyptian custody. With mounting pressure, significant figures are urging the British government to issue a travel advisory cautioning citizens against visiting Egypt. On the 29th of May, a strongly-worded letter was sent to The Times, stating unequivocally, "Egypt can't have it both ways."
Since 2019, Alaa Abd El-Fattah has been imprisoned in Egypt. In December 2021, he was sentenced to five years in prison for propagating false news and harming Egypt's national interests. However, an 18-month investigation by an independent United Nations panel—the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD)—revealed that the activist's detention is anything but legal. In a report published on the 28th of May 2025, the panel indicated several reasons for his illegal detention: lack of a warrant, lack of reasons for his arrest, denial of a fair trial, the exercise of freedom of expression, and discriminatory detention[2].
In response to the UN report, a petition was launched and signed by former UK ambassador to Egypt, John Casson. The document appeals to the British government to take decisive action and utilize its entire arsenal of protective measures, including issuing a travel advisory warning citizens against traveling to Egypt[3]. According to the petition, those apprehended by Egypt's police state can hardly expect a fair process or backing from the British government, as Egypt has consistently refused to grant the UK consular access to Alaa Abd El-Fattah[3].
"Egypt can't have it both ways. It poses as a partner while depending on the influx of British tourists to keep its economy afloat. It needs to realize that such a partnership is incompatible with the mistreatment of our citizens, and the prevention of our embassy from performing the most elementary consular duties on their behalf," the petition writers contend[3].
In an interview with the BBC, John Casson advised against traveling to Egypt, firmly believing it entails considerable risk[4].
The UK's Travel Guidelines for Egypt
At the time of writing, the UK's travel advice for Egypt was last updated on the 20th of May. It suggests avoiding travel within 20 kilometers of the Egypt-Libya border, except for the town of El Salloum, and advises against all but essential travel to the North Sinai Governorate. In addition, travel to the northern part of the South Sinai Governorate, beyond the St Catherine-Nuweibaa road, the Ismailiyah Governorate east of the Suez Canal, the Hala'ib Triangle and the Bir Tawil Trapezoid, and the area west of the Nile Valley and Nile Delta regions are all advised against, except for essential travel[5].
However, some popular tourist destinations, such as Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, remain exempt from these advisories[5]. With demands growing for the UK government to issue a more robust travel warning in light of deteriorating human rights conditions and the detention of British nationals like Abd El-Fattah, the official travel advice remains unchanged as of now[1]. While these demands serve to underscore concerns related to safety and human rights, the travel advice at this juncture has yet to be substantially revised[1].
[1] - https://edition.cnn.com/2022/05/04/africa/egypt-british-uk-adbel-fattah-travel-warning-intl/index.html[2] - https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/05/egypt-un-panel-slams-detention-of-alaa-abd-elfattah/[3] - https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/former-uk-ambassador-urges-foreign-office-to-issue-travel-warning-for-egypt-h2k8b7gc7[4] - https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61341603[5] - https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt/safety-and-security
Enrichment Data:Following the UN report on Alaa Abd El-Fattah's illegal detention, the UK's travel advisory for Egypt has yet to be significantly updated with a comprehensive travel warning. As of the latest update on May 20, 2025, the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against travel to within 20 kilometers of the Libyan border due to the risk of terrorism and kidnapping but does not currently proscribe travel to major tourist destinations like Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Alexandria, or the Red Sea resorts[1]. However, there are growing demands for the UK government to issue a stronger travel warning due to Egypt's worsening human rights situation and the detention of British nationals like Abd El-Fattah[1]. While these demands emphasize concerns regarding safety and human rights, the official travel advice has yet to be substantially changed at this time[1].
[1] - https://edition.cnn.com/2022/05/04/africa/egypt-british-uk-adbel-fattah-travel-warning-intl/index.html
- The escalating situation of Alaa Abd El-Fattah's illegal detention in Egypt has triggered a petition urging the British government to issue a travel advisory, cautioning citizens against traveling to Egypt.
- John Casson, former UK ambassador to Egypt, has gone a step further by advising against travel to Egypt, citing considerable risks.
- In the midst of mounting pressure to address human rights issues and the detention of British nationals like Abd El-Fattah, the UK's travel advisory for Egypt has not been significantly updated, despite ongoing demands for a more robust warning.
- While major tourist destinations remain exempt from the travel advisories for Egypt, the worsening human rights conditions and detention of British citizens, such as Abd El-Fattah, continue to be a point of concern within the realm of politics, policy-and-legislation, and general-news.
- The current travel advisory for Egypt, issued by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), advises avoiding travel within 20 kilometers of the Egypt-Libya border, but general travel warnings for regions marred by war-and-conflicts and issues of crime-and-justice have yet to be expanded.
