Palma.A report issued by the Foreign Office yesterday suggests that Britons are behaving themselves better abroad, well at least in Spain.
Not only did arrests fall last year, so too did the number of drug related offences in Spain by 4.5 percent.
The positive downward trends for Spain are in line with an encouraging global picture for the year to 31 March 2011.
The number of Britons arrested overseas fell by over 10% worldwide, with drug arrests down by nearly 20%.
These figures compare with a 2% drop in the number of overseas visits by Britons.
Despite the declines, Foreign Office staff still handled 5'700 arrest cases last year, of which 1'745 were in Spain.
Drug arrests continue to be a significant problem in some countries, with upward trends in South America and the Caribbean, but making up less than 10% of all arrests in Spain.
Minister for Europe, David Lidington, said: We work hard to warn British nationals about the consequences of breaking the law abroad so it is really encouraging to see the overall number of cases of arrests and drug arrests falling.
But last year there were still 5'700 arrests of British nationals overseas.
People are mistaken if they think the Foreign Office can get you out of jail. We can't, but we will work hard to try and ensure your safety, and that you get a fair trial.
Aside from arrests, the British Behaviour Abroad report shows that the number of Brits hospitalised in Spain increased 23% to 1'024 cases, despite fewer people from the UK travelling abroad last year. Medical treatment abroad can be very expensive, so to avoid being faced with large bills if taken ill or after an accident, the Foreign Office strongly urges holidaymakers to take out a comprehensive travel insurance policy. Previous research suggests that 15% of Britons travel abroad uninsured, and every year some end up facing bills running to many thousands of pounds.
New research launched today by the Foreign Office reveals that 43% of 18-24 year olds in Britain know someone who has taken illegal drugs whilst abroad.
It shows that two thirds (69%) of people don't always find out about the laws of the country they are visiting before they go abroad putting themselves at risk of unknowingly breaking the law.
More worryingly
More worryingly a third (32%) of people are unaware that they will always be prosecuted under local law if they break the law abroad - with 6% thinking they will be prosecuted under UK law, 22% thinking it depends on the country they are in and 4% admitting to not knowing at all.
Find out how the Foreign Office can help if you get into trouble abroad, at: www.fco.gov.uk/travel
Sign up to Facebook and Twitter feeds to make sure you get the latest travel advice: www.facebook.com/fcotravel and twitter.com/fcotravel
No comments
To be able to write a comment, you have to be registered and logged in
Currently there are no comments.