Brits visiting family and friends abroad are not taking proper precautions according to incident figures released by The Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office helped thousands of Britons in need of assistance in Africa and the Caribbean last year, a recent report from the FCO has revealed. Many are Black Britons visiting friends and family. The Foreign Office is releasing these figures today to warn of the dangers of being unprepared for your travels - however familiar the destination.

According to the most accurate figures available during the period April 05-March 06, the FCO dealt with 1,516 serious assistance cases in Africa, including: 32 Britons hospitalised and 21 arrested in Kenya; 5 deaths in Ghana; 91 lost passports in Nigeria and 71 in Zimbabwe. There were 427 serious assistance cases in the Caribbean, including 122 Britons arrested in Jamaica; 38 lost passports in Barbados; 9 hospitalisations and 3 deaths in Trinidad and Tobago.

FCO research has suggested that whilst Black Britons take precautions when they are travelling to holiday destinations such as Europe and the USA, it is often not the case when it comes to visiting friends and family in their country of origin. Many travel without insurance, without having vaccinations or even without ensuring they have the correct re-entry documents.

It is essential that those travelling to such destinations make the necessary preparations before departure. Simple precautions like getting comprehensive travel insurance, getting appropriate jabs and taking copies of important documents. Just a little preparation can make sure your holiday is one to remember for the right reasons

As part of the Know Before You Go Campaign, the Foreign Office is today issuing the following advice to British citizens visiting friends and family in Africa or the Caribbean:

Always take out travel insurance

  • Medical expenses can be extortionate for example it can cost up to £35,000 to get transported by air ambulance back to the UK from the Caribbean
  • It is unlikely you will have free access to good quality medical treatment, and costs can be extremely high if you become ill or injured.
  • If you are of dual nationality, seek advice from your insurer on whether this affects your cover

Ensure all documentation is correct

  • Make sure the name on your passport is the same one you give when booking flights and arranging other travel documentation.
  • If you have dual nationality, make sure you have a Certificate of Entitlement (to the Right of Abode) in the passport of your other nationality for you and your family.
  • Make a photocopy of the relevant pages in your passports (back page of your British passport containing your photograph and details and the Certificate of Entitlement in your other passport) and keep them separately to your passports

3. Know the personal import laws

  • It is illegal to bring meat products & pickles, milk, dairy or other animal products (e.g. fish, eggs, honey), chestnuts, potatoes or potato seeds into the UK from any country outside the EU
  • The importing of any meat from wild animals ('bushmeat') is treated extremely seriously with possible penalties including fines or imprisonment
  • Check www.defra.gov.uk for more information

Go to your GP to check whether you or your family need vaccinations

  • Even if you have lived in a country in the past, you may no longer be immune to diseases local to that region
  • Ensure all required vaccinations are up-to-date - in some African states such as Zanzibar and Tanzania, entry is not permitted without a Yellow Fever certificate.
  • Check the Department of Health website at www.dh.gov.uk for advice on current inoculations required for the country you are planning to visit.

Know your nationality status

  • If you are of dual nationality in the country of your other nationality, Her Majesty's Government can provide you with consular assistance only in exceptional circumstances