Ex-Ambassador warns UK citizens to avoid travel to Egypt

Former British ambassador to Egypt, John Casson, has called on the UK government to update its travel advice and warn citizens against visiting Egypt.

According to media reports, this follows Cairo’s continued refusal to release Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a dual British-Egyptian national imprisoned since 2019.

Casson’s appeal comes after a United Nations panel concluded that Abd el-Fattah has been held arbitrarily, with Egypt denying the UK any consular access to him.

His mother, in protest against his prolonged detention, has been on a hunger strike.

Casson, who served as ambassador from 2014 to 2018, criticized the Egyptian government’s actions, accusing it of mistreating a British citizen while maintaining an economic relationship heavily reliant on UK tourism.

“Egypt pretends to be a friend of the UK and is dependent on British visitors to keep its economy afloat,” Casson said.

“We have to demonstrate that that is not compatible with abusing our citizens and blocking our embassy.”

He added that the UK Foreign Office had already exhausted standard diplomatic approaches in attempts to secure Abd el-Fattah’s release, only to be met with obstruction and disregard.

 “Egypt has fobbed us off and tried to push us around,” he told the BBC.

“It is a police state… violent and vindictive.”

Casson accused Egypt of torturing Abd el-Fattah, detaining him on false charges, and inflicting suffering on his family.

He also warned that the case undermines the UK government’s basic diplomatic rights, including the ability to assist and visit its nationals abroad.

According to Casson, the UK must now take stronger steps—starting with a change in travel advice.

He recommended that Britons reconsider travel to Egypt, not just in light of Abd el-Fattah’s situation, but more broadly due to the risks to tourists.

“If a friend or family member asked me today, ‘Should we be booking our winter sun in Egypt?’ I would say: ‘You’re taking a real risk,’” Casson said.

He cited concerns about due process, legal protections, and embassy access.

“If you get into trouble or even post something controversial on social media, your rights may not be protected.”

Drawing from his own experience as ambassador, Casson recalled previous troubling cases involving British citizens in Egypt.

He mentioned the torture and death of a Cambridge University student in an Egyptian prison, and the case of a British woman who was jailed for a year after entering the country with a large supply of painkillers.

There have also been numerous reports of kidnappings, he said.

Casson argued that the UK’s travel advisory for Egypt should be as blunt and honest as current guidance for destinations like Hong Kong and Iran.

He believes the case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah should become a pivotal issue in shaping the UK’s broader diplomatic stance towards Egypt, requiring strong political will to resolve.

His comments came after he co-signed a letter with Labour peers Lord Hain and Lady Kennedy.

It urged the British government to formally discourage travel to Egypt.

The letter underscores the belief that economic pressure via tourism may be the only remaining effective tool to prompt change from the Egyptian government.

Egypt’s economy is under severe strain and heavily reliant on its tourism sector, which brought in approximately $31 billion (about £23 billion) in 2023 and employs nearly 9% of the country’s workforce.

In 2024, Egypt welcomed a record 15.7 million tourists, up from 14.9 million the year before. Among these were over 500,000 British visitors.

Despite this, current UK Foreign Office travel advice does not warn tourists against visiting Egypt’s main tourist areas.

Although it does mention threats of terrorism in Sinai and advises caution over expressing political opinions.

Casson has long criticised the UK’s failure to exert sufficient pressure on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to secure Abd el-Fattah’s release.

The UN’s recent ruling, he argues, adds significant international weight to the campaign.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has personally contacted President Sisi twice regarding the case.

The UK’s National Security Adviser, Jonathan Powell, and Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, have also raised the issue in diplomatic meetings.

UK officials have brought the matter before the UN Human Rights Council.

However, Egypt continues to deny even preliminary consular access to Abd el-Fattah, citing its non-recognition of his dual nationality.

He remains imprisoned on charges of spreading false information and has been a vocal critic of the Egyptian regime’s repression.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook