Nigeria, Australia, Indonesia and a number of other countries have warned their citizens against travelling to the UK as anti-immigrant riots break out across Britain.
The worst social unrest in the UK in years was caused by the stabbings of three young girls in Stockport, northwest England, last week. Since then, anti-Muslim and anti-immigration extremists have been mobilized by a wave of disinformation about the killings, including false claims that the attacker was an immigrant.
Rioters attack hotels Last weekend, asylum seekers were housed in two cities and clashes with police occurred in several other cities, with hundreds of people arrested.
Several countries have issued warnings in response, including a group of Muslim-majority countries.
The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement travel warning On Monday, it warned its citizens planning to visit the UK that “demonstrations by far-right and other extra-parliamentary groups in parts of the UK have been large and in some cases unmanageable in recent weeks” and that “there is an increased risk of violence and disorder.”
The warning advises Nigerian citizens to be “extra vigilant” and “always self-aware” and avoid crowded areas, large gatherings and political processions and rallies.
Kenya’s Chief Foreign Secretary Korir Sing’Oei took to social media platform X on Sunday to after“A very worrying situation in the UK. Kenyans are urged to exercise caution.”
Violent protests also took place in several cities in Nigeria this weekend hunger and ‘bad governance’, with Kenya also recently facing nationwide protests against proposed tax increases.
“Nigeria and Kenya are warning their citizens in the United Kingdom after riots in the former colonial power,” CNN correspondent Larry Madowo said from Nairobi. “People are calling this ‘aura by aura’ because the UK and other Western countries often issue travel advisories targeted at African countries.”
The Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the first country to respond to the chaos in the United Kingdom by issuing a ‘ urgent notice to Malaysians in the UK” on X on Sunday.
It said it was closely monitoring the situation in the UK and urged citizens to “stay away from protest areas” and “remain vigilant”.
The Indonesian Embassy in London issued a statement appeal later on Sunday, urging citizens in the UK to be more vigilant, especially when travelling or engaging in outdoor activities, and to “avoid large crowds and places that have the potential to become gathering places for crowds or groups of protesters.”
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