Travel Restrictions in 2018 - A Global Outlook
Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s deteriorating politicalenvironment increases the likelihood of renewed travel restrictions andtelecommunications shutdowns. This is particularly the case in the Oromia andAmhara regions, where violent anti-government protests continue, and along theEritrean border, where growing political tensions increase the likelihood ofskirmishes. Criminal and militia attacks, for example the murder of a Germantourist near the Erta Ale volcano, Afar Region, in December 2017, furtherincrease the likelihood of a heightened security presence in the region.Communications outages, roadblocks and wrongful detention can be expected inthese conflict-prone areas.
Egypt
Egypt has an extensive history ofemergency laws. In January 2018, the government renewed a three-monthcountrywide SoE, citing ongoing militancy. The SoE grants security forcesadditional powers, including increased monitoring and censorship of onlinecommunications, and greater authority to arrest those suspected of harmingnational security. An increased security presence, including securitycheckpoints around sensitive sites, such as Coptic Christian places of worship,government and military installations, and tourist venues, is expected.
Honduras
The government declared an SoE on 1December 2017, after widespread violent protests broke out over the disputedNovember 2017 election results. The SoE allowed for the implementation of acurfew and the detention of protesters. It was revoked on 9 December; however,protests remain ongoing, increasing the likelihood that new emergencyconditions will be declared, affecting travellers to the country. The capital,Tegucigalpa, and opposition strongholds, including Colón, Atlántida, Yoro,Cortés and Santa Bárbara, are expected to be the worst affected.
The Philippines
In December 2017, martial law wasextended on Mindanao Island until the end of 2018. It was initially implementedin May 2017, following an attack on Marawi City, by Islamist militant groups.The presence of foreign militants among the attackers allowed the government tocharacterise the attack as an invasion and implement martial law. Althoughforeign nationals are not restricted from travelling to Mindanao, residentsrequire official permission to travel, and security forces can conductwarrantless searches and arrests.