Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 UNITED KINGDOM Overall risk level High Reconsider travel Can be dangerous and may present unexpected security risks Travel is possible, but there is a potential for disruptions Overview Emergency Numbers Medical 999; 112 Upcoming Events 30 August 2021 - 31 August 2021 Medium risk: Entry from Montenegro, Thailand to be banned from 30 August Effective 04:00 local time (03:00 GMT) on 30 August, Thailand and Montenegro will be added to the "red list", due to COVID-19. Non-essential travel from "red list" countries is not permitted; UK nationals and others exempt from the ban are subject to hotel quarantine, in addition to COVID- 19 tests that must be taken within three days before arrival, day 2 and day 8. 30 August 2021 - 31 August 2021 Moderate risk: Travel restrictions to be eased for entry from Canada, other countries from 30 August Effective 04:00 local time (03:00 GMT) on 30 August, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Switzerland and the Azores (Portugal) will be added to the "green list" of lower COVID- 19 risk territories and countries. Travellers arriving from "green list" countries are exempt from quarantine but must be tested for COVID-19 within three days before departure and on day 2 after arrival. 05 September 2021 - 06 September 2021 Moderate risk: Strike to disrupt EMR services on 5 September The RMT union announced that East Midlands Railway (EMR) conductors will strike for 24 hours on 5 September over safety issues. Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / United Kingdom 2 Travel Advisories Moderate risk: Brexit Take normal safety precautions for travel to the United Kingdom (UK) until further notice because of political uncertainty and possible demonstrations for and against the country’s decision to leave the European Union (EU). On 31 January 2020, the UK left the EU, putting an end to the exit process that officially began in March 2017. The departure follows a clear victory for Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party in the December 2019 parliamentary elections to implement Brexit and negotiate a trade deal. With an absolute majority with 365 seats in the 650-seat parliament, the Conservatives broke the impasse that had impeded progress in the Brexit process. The Withdrawal Agreement Act was subsequently ratified by Parliament on 23 January 2020 and then by the European Parliament on 29 January, paving the way for the country's exit from the EU. On 24 December 2020, EU and UK officials announced that a deal was reached one week ahead of the end of the transition period on 31 December, averting a "no deal" scenario. Both the EU and UK government approved the deal by 30 December, paving the way for the deal to apply provisionally from 1 January 2021. Renewed demonstrations over the terms of the deal are a concern going into 2021. Brexit has been a deeply divisive issue since the idea of a referendum on EU-UK relations came on the agenda of former Conservative PM David Cameron. Since the referendum was held in June 2016, Brexit has been the single biggest issue affecting British politics, fuelling political protests and shaking the political party system. Take normal safety precautions for travel to the United Kingdom (UK) until further notice because of political uncertainty and possible demonstrations for and against the country’s decision to leave the European Union (EU) in January 2020. Stay abreast of local developments and monitor local media for updates on protest events; note that any large demonstration is likely to trigger localised disruptions to vehicular and foot traffic. In the event of a protest, plot route bypass alternatives and allow for additional travel time. Travellers are advised to confirm the viability of their travel to and from the UK. Travellers should monitor developments closely and discuss possible contingency plans with their travel managers. It should also be noted that the run-up to the 2016 Brexit referendum and the following months saw a major uptick in racially-motivated incidents across the UK, with authorities confirming in 2017 an 29 percent increase in hate crimes in England and Wales compared to the previous year. While travellers are unlikely to be directly targeted in politically or racially-motivated attacks, clients are nonetheless advised to exercise heightened vigilance near possible targets, including foreign cultural centres, mosques and locations associated with asylum seekers or refugees. Context: In a historical and stunning referendum - which took place on 23 June 2016 amid unprecedented political tensions and that prompted Prime Minister David Cameron's resignation - 52 per cent of voters elected to leave the EU. However, the geography of the vote also showed that "Remain" won 62-38 in Scotland, 55.8-44.2 in Northern Ireland and 59.9-40.1 in London. Theresa May, who became prime minister on 13 July 2016 after Cameron’s resignation, triggered on 29 March 2017 Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty - the legal tool required to start the process of withdrawal. After the UK formally left the EU on 31 January 2020, the transition period ended on 31 December. Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / United Kingdom 3 Medium risk: Northern Ireland Exercise caution for travel to Northern Ireland until further notice because of dissident violence and sporadic unrest. Although the 1998 Good Friday Agreement largely ended more than three decades of violence between mainly Catholic Irish nationalists and Protestant unionists backed by the British security forces, dissident republicans continue to stage sporadic gun and bomb attacks on local officials, security officers and perceived civilian collaborators. Security forces, both on and off duty, are most likely to be targeted in these attacks, although government offices and banks have also been targeted in the past. Security forces are well-trained and equipped to deal with the homemade explosive devices that frequently result in security alerts. Evacuations and travel restrictions typically accompany the discovery of such devices, but typically last only several hours and end without further incident after a bomb squad operation. Sporadic flare-ups of unrest and attacks on police and civilians have taken place in east Belfast, specifically centred around the Short Strand area and Castlereagh Street. Other possible flashpoints include the northern Ardoyne district, Tyrone and south Armagh. Demonstrations and bomb call-ins to police may be used as cover to stage attacks on the security forces and bystanders are at risk of being hit by errant gunfire or riot control agents. In April 2021, multiple incidents of overnight unrest occurred across Northern Ireland, including west Belfast, Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus, Ballymena and Derry's Waterside area. Over 50 officers were injured and at least 10 people were detained during the violence. On 7 April, a bus was hijacked and set ablaze by petrol bombs on the junction of Lanark Way and Shankill Road in west Belfast, an intersectional area between nationalist and unionist communities. While no passengers were injured, the incident underscored escalating tensions and risk to bystanders. On the same night, clashes broke out on the loyalist Shankill Road and the republican Springfield Road. While the factors driving the uptick in violence remain unclear, the unrest follows discontent among unionist communities against 'the Protocol', which established a trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom as part of the Brexit agreement. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) continues to indicate that there is a "severe" dissident threat level against police, military and prison personnel, especially around anniversaries of the 1916 Easter Rising on 24-29 April. In January 2019, a car bomb exploded outside a courthouse on Derry's Bishop Street without causing injuries. In June 2019, the New IRA (Óglaigh na hÉireann, ONH) claimed responsibility for a bomb planted under a police officer's vehicle in Belfast; the explosive was found before it could be detonated. While the main remaining dissident group, the New IRA, announced in 2018 that it had suspended "all armed actions against the British state", further attacks by other dissident groups cannot be ruled out. Visitors to Northern Ireland are advised to review personal security measures, immediately report suspicious packages or behaviour and exercise heightened vigilance near state security personnel and infrastructure as well as banks and other commercial establishments. Exercise caution in flashpoint areas, especially at night. Avoid all large crowds. Security alerts are likely to cause significant disruptions to local traffic, and visitors are advised to allow for additional travel time and plot bypass routes in the event of further restrictions. Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / United Kingdom 4 Moderate risk: Travel between the UK and Europe after Brexit Travellers are advised to be aware of changes to travel between the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) from 1 January 2021, following the end of the transition period for the UK's exit from the EU ('Brexit'). Following the end of the 'Brexit' transition period, the UK will no longer be treated as an EU member state, bringing changes to travel between the UK and EU member states, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. A new UK passport will not be required for travel to the EU, unless it has less than six months of validity or is older than ten years. In addition to presenting passports, British travellers to the EU may also be asked to present a return ticket and proof of sufficient funds. Short-term leisure travel shorter than 90 days in a 180-day period in a EU member state will not require a visa, with stays in Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania not counting towards the 90-day limit.