Special Report
Countries US Government Doesn't Want You To Go To
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Last Updated:
Americans traveling abroad in 2022 face a much different world than they did only a year ago. Though COVID-19 restrictions have largely been lifted, a new set of risks has emerged.
When Russia launched an invasion on neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, decades of diplomatic progress between Washington and Moscow were lost in an instant. Recent escalations from the Kremlin, including the threat of nuclear weapons deployment and a mass troop mobilization, have only deepend geopolitical divisions and tensions, prompting the U.S. State Department to urge U.S. citizens in Russia to leave the country as soon as possible. (Here is a look at 19 wars Russia has lost.)
The conflict, which is now the largest on the European continent since World War II, has redrawn international political alliances and exposed Americans to serious threats in a growing number of countries.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed State Department travel advisories to identify the countries the U.S. government does not want you to go to. As of late September 2022, 20 countries have a standing Level 4 travel advisory. Level 4 is the highest level advisory issued by the government, and it comes with an unambiguous “Do Not Travel” warning, directed at American citizens. (Countries are ordered alphabetically.)
For some of the 20 countries on this list, Level 4 travel advisories are a direct result of the conflict in Ukraine. In places like Russia and Belarus, for example, Americans face the threat of harassment and arbitrary detention at the hands of law enforcement and government officials. Abuse of government power also poses a threat in places like Iran and North Korea. (Here is a look at the most corrupt countries in the world.)
Many other countries on this list, however, have been deemed unsafe for Americans for years. In some African and Middle Eastern nations, threats include terrorism, civil unrest, and crime. In one country on this list, a lack of reliable health care infrastructure has contributed to its Level 4 advisory status, and in another, recent volcanic eruptions pose the biggest risk to travelers.
Click here to see countries US government doesn’t want you to go to.
1. Afghanistan
> Risk factors: Civil unrest, armed conflict, crime, terrorism, and kidnapping
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: April 18, 2022
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2. Belarus
> Risk factors: Arbitrary enforcement of laws, risk of detention, and the Russian military attack on neighboring Ukraine
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: June 13, 2022
3. Burkina Faso
> Risk factors: Terrorism, crime, and kidnapping
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: April 18, 2022
4. Burma (Myanmar)
> Risk factors: Civil unrest and armed conflict
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: July 26, 2022
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5. Central African Republic
> Risk factors: Limited State Dept. capacity to provide support, crime, civil unrest, and kidnapping
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: April 18, 2022
6. Haiti
> Risk factors: Kidnapping, crime, and civil unrest
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: July 5, 2022
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7. Iran
> Risk factors: Risk of kidnapping and arbitrary arrest and detention
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: July 19, 2022
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8. Iraq
> Risk factors: Terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, and limited State Dept. capacity to provide support
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: July 18, 2022
9. Libya
> Risk factors: Crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: June 6, 2022
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10. Mali
> Risk factors: Crime, terrorism, and kidnapping
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: July 29, 2022
11. North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)
> Risk factors: Serious risk of arrest and long-term detention
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: July 19, 2022
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12. Russia
> Risk factors: Unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces, potential for harassment by Russian government security officials
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: August 15, 2022
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13. Somalia
> Risk factors: Crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health issues, kidnapping, and piracy
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: April 19, 2022
14. South Sudan
> Risk factors: Crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: August 29, 2022
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15. Sudan
> Risk factors: Civil unrest
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: April 19, 2022
16. Syria
> Risk factors: Terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed conflict, and risk of unjust detention
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: April 20, 2022
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17. Tonga
> Risk factors: Recent volcanic eruptions
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: April 18, 2022
24/7 Wall St.18. Ukraine
> Risk factors: Russian military invasion
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: July 13, 2022
19. Venezuela
> Risk factors: Crime, civil unrest, poor health infrastructure, kidnapping, and arrest and detention without due process or fair trial guarantees
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: July 19, 2022
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20. Yemen
> Risk factors: Terrorism, civil unrest, health risks, kidnapping, armed conflict, and landmines
> Latest State Dept. warning issued on: April 18, 2022
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