India alerts travelers about safety risks in the UK amid ongoing riots

• The incident led to attacks on immigrants and mosques.
• India joins Australia, Nigeria, and Indonesia in issuing safety warnings for their citizens in the UK.
• The UK, home to over 1.9 million British Indians, is a popular destination for many from South Asia

On Tuesday, India issued a safety warning for its nationals visiting the UK in response to riots targeting minority communities.

Since last week, violent unrest and disorder have engulfed the UK after a misinformation campaign sparked outrage over a stabbing attack that killed three young girls and injured 10 people—mostly children—in Southport, northern England.

False rumors spread online claimed that the suspect in the incident was a Muslim asylum-seeker, leading to attacks on immigrants and mosques. India has joined a growing number of countries— including Australia, Nigeria, and Indonesia— in issuing safety warnings for their citizens in the UK.

“Visitors from India are advised to stay vigilant and exercise due caution while traveling in the UK,” the High Commission of India in London said in a statement.

“It is advisable to follow local news and advisories issued by local security agencies, and to avoid areas where protests are underway.”

The UK, home to over 1.9 million British Indians, is a popular destination for many from South Asia. Over 600,000 Indian travelers visited Britain just last year. Ajay Prakash, originally from Bihar and now running a travel agency in London, reported that his clients are beginning to consider canceling their upcoming trips to the UK due to the unrest.

“We are very much concerned. Because of this, we are getting several calls from our customers who have booked their trips for UK tours specifically… This is impacting our business a lot,” he told Arab News in a phone interview.

Prakash, also the secretary of an Indian community association, said that many Asians have become increasingly concerned about how the situation in the UK is unfolding.

“What I can say is that the Asian community as a whole … all are concerned at the moment,” he said. “We are scared.”

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