Prisoners Abroad's comment on recent rise in arrests in the UAE

Over the last year, there have been a number of high-profile arrests of British nationals in the United Arab Emirates featured in the media, which mirrors a sharp rise in UAE-based cases seen by Prisoners Abroad.

Christopher Stacey, Chief Executive of Prisoners Abroad, says:

"The UAE is now the country with our fourth highest number of cases, with 22 new cases since April 2024 alone - double the number we saw across the whole of 2022. Many of these are younger people who have been groomed into trafficking drugs. The penalties following sentencing can be very tough and the average sentence length we have on record is 15 years. Regimes can also be very strict and contact with those outside can be very limited, often being restricted to phone calls only. As a result, Prisoners Abroad will provide its emergency funds to enable a detainee without their own resources to at least purchase phone cards so that they can stay in touch with their family. We work closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, both in implementing our overseas support and in supporting their Travel Aware campaign, and would urge anyone planning a trip to the UAE to thoroughly research local laws and customs before travelling."

Notes

'Travel to the UAE' by a Prisoners Abroad caseworker

FCDO Travel Aware campaign

FCDO travel advice for the UAE

FCDO advice for people arrested or in prison in the UAE

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