A change recently occurred on the U.K. government’s page regarding travel to the U.S. In the version updated March 14, language regarding entry requirements became stronger.
Currently, it reads: “The authorities in the U.S. set and enforce entry rules strictly. You may be liable to arrest or detention if you break the rules.”
According to Reuters, archived versions of the same web page from early February read: “The authorities in the U.S. set and enforce entry rules.”
“The foreign office declined to comment on the reason for the revision or confirm when exactly it took place,” said Reuters’ report. “It said its travel advice was designed to help people make decisions and the advice was constantly kept under review.”
Since President Donald Trump took office in the U.S. this January, his administration has made changes that impact travel. These include stricter border policies and tighter visa vetting procedures, as well as changes related to gender identity that have impacted U.S. passports.
Apart from the change noted by Reuters, the U.K.’s page on travel to the U.S. also includes warnings about terrorism, crime, protests, medical care, drug trafficking and LGBTQ+ safety.
“Terrorists are very likely to try and carry out attacks in the U.S.,” said the page.
It also said that, while violent crime and gun crime rarely affect tourists and that “mass shooting incidents can happen but are a very small percentage of murders,” that travelers should still be careful in crowded areas. Regarding medical treatment, the U.K. warned that “medical treatment is expensive and there are no special arrangements for British visitors.
Germany also updated its travel advisory for the U.S. Tuesday. It warned that visas and entry waivers wouldn't necessarily guarantee entry for German citizens, Reuters said.
Axios noted that “several Germans have recently been detained in the U.S. for offenses including incorrectly answering a question from border authorities due to a language barrier, and traveling with tattoo equipment.” It also said that a British artist from Wales who was detained in the U.S. last February was reunited with her family this month.