There are currently 23 countries on Australia’s ‘do not travel’ list, places like North Korea, Russia, Mali, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says if you travel to those countries, you’re at a high risk of death, imprisonment, kidnapping or serious injury.
But could the government stop you from going there? Government travel adviser Dr David Bierman explains on The Briefing:
“The government’s travel advisories are exactly that. They’re advisories… that doesn’t actually force people not to go there,” Bierman said.
The federal government’s Smartraveller website updated its advice for Lebanon to “do not travel” this week. The advice comes due to a “volatile security situation” in the region.
“It’s the duty of care of all governments, the Australian governments really taken very seriously the duty of care to try and evacuate people in an extreme circumstance,” he said.
“My top advice is if it’s absolutely necessary for a person to go to a place which has been designated as do not travel, the first thing people should do is find out whether there is any insurance cover. […] Obviously try and workout your escape plans even before you leave,” he said.
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