Taiwan Issues Travel Alert for Trinidad and Tobago

Taiwan Issues Travel Alert for Trinidad and Tobago

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan (MOFA) issued a warning yesterday advising people to avoid traveling to the southern Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, where tensions were rising after the government declared a curfew in the wake of a surge in violent crime.

According to the MOFA, the country's government imposed a 15-day period of emergency rule Aug. 21 in a bid to halt the surge in violent crime linked to the drug trade in the oil-rich Caribbean country.

The emergency rule was mainly to allow authorities to conduct search and seizure operations and make arrests in the twin-island nation.

The MOFA issued an “orange” warning, the second-highest on Taiwan's four-color tourism advisory system. It advises Taiwanese nationals to avoid going to the destination and to be on high alert if they have to go.

Travelers who arrive in or depart from the country between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. need to apply for an exit or entry travel permit due to the dusk-to-dawn curfew, the MOFA said.