A number of foreign governments have updated their travel advice for the UK as crime rates continue to rise, with France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UAE and even Mexico warning their citizens that it’s a ‘dangerous place to travel’. Jeez, is it really that bad?

Well, it does look bleak if you’re looking at statistics alone. In 2024, around 9.6 million major crimes, including theft, fraud, robbery, and violence, were recorded in the UK, marking a 14% increase from the previous year.

Australia has now raised its travel risk level for the UK from Level 1 to Level 2, with its Smart Traveller site advising citizens to “exercise a high degree of caution” in Britain, noting that “petty crime is common, including pickpocketing,” and warning about thieves who use “scooters and bicycles to snatch belongings.”

Smart Traveller also explains that Level 2 “may reflect a weak law-and-order system, where violent crime is common,” and adds the UK “may lack some key public services, such as a responsive police force.” Pretty embarrassing, to be fair.

Other countries, including France, Canada, New Zealand, Mexico, and the UAE, have followed suit. Tourists are especially warned to stay alert in London, where according to The Metropolitan Police, one phone is stolen every six minutes in the capital. One phone every six minutes! Not actually hard to believe, when you remember that one guy who managed to steal 24 phones in just 60 minutes.

The UAE embassy warns of a “recent increase in violence and knife crime” in London, including attacks on “citizens of Arab Gulf states.” Emirati travellers are advised to “take special care, especially at night, and avoid wearing valuable items that attract attention in public places.” So if you see a Sheikh in London swap out his Rolex for a Casio, now you know why.

Not to worry, though – Sadiq Khan is on the case. The London Mayor introduced a new London Police and Crime Plan earlier this year, which has set a four-year goal “to strengthen neighbourhood policing in London so that more officers are in the heart of communities to crack down on crime and anti-social behaviour.”

Well, that would be nice. I’m not sure what’s taken so long to figure it out but I suppose it’s better late than never. Mobile phone theft in particular has reached ridiculous levels in the UK, with insurance provider SquareTrade Europe revealing that Britain now accounts for 40% of all handset thefts across Europe. No wonder we’ve become an international laughing stock when it comes to tackling crime.

It’s not all bad news, though. If the tourists steer clear of places like London and Birmingham and go to places like Devon and Cornwall instead, then the only thing they’ll have to worry about is the seagulls. Then again, why would a tourist ever travel to somewhere like Birmingham in the first place? That’s just begging to have a sh*t time, no matter what happens.

For the creative ways in which Brazilians are managing to keep their phones safe from phone-snatchers, click HERE. Interesting.