Australian travellers arrested overseas is low but on the rise

The Sun-Herald reported on January 8, 2012, that at least two Australians a day are arrested somewhere in the world – and that this number has doubled in ten years since 2001.

In 2001 a total of 568 Australians were arrested and 208 were imprisoned in foreign detention centres overseas. Ten years later, in 2010-2011, 1,069 Australians were arrested (88% increase) and 313 were imprisoned (50% increase), representing record levels. The countries in which Australians find themselves in most trouble are the United States of America, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) indicates that the crime which has increased the most over ten years is assault – 89 Australians were arrested overseas for assault in 2010-2011. Another 75 were arrested for drug offences, and 79 were arrested for visa violations. Other crimes include theft, corruption, fraud, illegal recruitment, paedophilia, prostitution, sexual assault, murder, kidnapping, and tax evasion.

Each year more than 7 million Australians travel overseas and about 200,000 (3%) of them seek consular assistance when abroad.

DFAT’s website Smartraveller (http://smartraveller.gov.au) provides advice on travelling overseas, local laws and regulations, health information, tips, and travel registration in which people can register their travel plans. Travel registration enables the Australian government to know how many of its citizens are in a particular country. It is particularly useful for travelers going to remote or politically tense regions as it enables them to be located during problematic situations. It is also useful if there are natural disasters in the region.

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