Syracuse Abroad Statement on European Travel Alert

The U.S. State Department issued an updated Travel Alert for Europe on Monday, May 1st. Alerts are issued for short-term events that the U.S. Department of State believes travelers should be aware of when planning to visit a specific country or region of the world. Examples of reasons for issuing a Travel Alert might include an election season that is bound to have many strikes, demonstrations, or disturbances; a health alert like an outbreak of H1N1; or evidence of an elevated risk of terrorist attacks. When these short-term events are over, the State Department cancels the Travel Alert. In this most recent alert, the State Department has not advised individuals to defer travel, but the alert advises travelers to exercise caution and monitor security information for the country or countries of their travels. An alert contrasts with a “warning,” which is also issued by the U.S. Department of State, and signals that travelers should consider very carefully whether or not they should travel at all to a specific country.

The current alert mentions steps that travelers in Europe can take to help them maintain their awareness and bolster their personal security preparedness. Please note that the advisory was not issued in response to a particular threat, but was intended to advise reasonable precaution when traveling. General advice is included below. and all travelers are encouraged to visit the ISOS website and download the ISOS app for more guidance and to provide emergency information in need. (Syracuse University: #11BCPA000177).

Syracuse Abroad takes the safety and security of our students and faculty overseas very seriously and we will continue to monitor information from the U.S. Department of State, the Overseas Security Advisory Council, foreign security agencies, the university’s insurance providers, and contacts on the ground to keep travelers notified and make potential determinations on any necessary itinerary adjustments. If there are any additional questions about the advisory or other travel safety concerns, please feel free to contact Seth Tucker, Syracuse University’s Director of International and Domestic Travel Safety and Support, at satucker@syr.edu or by phone 315.443.1968.

Remember:

  • Remain vigilant to your surroundings in public places, including transportation hubs, popular tourist locations, and shopping malls. Report any suspicious packages or behaviors to the authorities as a general security precaution.
  • Do not be unduly alarmed by a visible security force presence in main urban centers, transport hubs, and border crossing points.
  • Maintain flexible itineraries as security operations or alerts may cause short-notice disruption in transport networks.
  • Monitor ISOS and State Department alerts for further updates. Syracuse Abroad will be in contact with all students and parents in the unlikely event of an itinerary change for their program.

The full text of the Travel Alert is available here.