Consular Help - Ideas Wanted

[Laulen]

So, what would you like your friendly British Embassy official to do for you?

FCO LAUNCHES CONSULTATION ON GUIDE TO SUPPORT FOR BRITISH NATIONALS ABROAD (20/10/05)

The Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, today launched the consultation on the Foreign Office's Comprehensive Guide To Support for British Nationals Abroad. In line with Government manifesto commitments before the last General Election, the Guide pulls together for the first time into one document details of what the Foreign Office can - and can't – do for British nationals in difficulty overseas.

A draft of the Guide is being made available to key stakeholders, including parliamentarians, representatives from the travel and insurance industries, non-governmental organisations, departments across government and organisations with whom we work to deliver consular assistance, prior to a consultation event on the 27th October.

In a statement to the House of Commons today, Jack Straw said:

'There is no more important task for the Foreign Office than our work to support British nationals in distress overseas. By consulting our stakeholders before the formal launch of this document, we hope to achieve two main objectives: to ensure that we present this guide to our consular assistance in the best way possible, and to foster a wider debate on the questions underlying our services.'

Consular Minister Lord Triesman added:

'Delivering effective support to British people in distress abroad is a task for the whole of Government - from the Foreign Office through our network of posts and staff in London, to the work which Tessa Jowell is leading on support for families of victims of catastrophes abroad once they return to the UK. We're determined to get this right, and we hope that this consultation will enable us to do so.'

Notes to editors

To obtain a copy of the draft Guide, please email [email protected], or call 020 7008 1213.

British people now make some 65 million overseas trips a year, and some 13 million British national live overseas.

British consular staff now deal with 3.5 million enquiries and some 85,000 new cases requiring more acute support every year.

Over the last year, cases dealt with included 4,200 British nationals hospitalised overseas; 3,900 deaths; around 150 cases of child abduction and 250 of forced marriage; and support for almost 6,000 British detainees.

FCO Posts overseas issued 450,000 full British passports every year, plus 11, emergency passports.

The FCO issues Travel Advice notices on 217 countries and territories: our travel advice website receives 400,000 visitors a month. Our call centre receives 8,000 calls every month, with flexible arrangements in place to increase capacity to deal with major crises.

[Eric Davis]

British people now make some 65 million overseas trips a year, and some 13 million British national live overseas.

British consular staff now deal with 3.5 million enquiries and some 85,000 new cases requiring more acute support every year.

Over the last year, cases dealt with included 4,200 British nationals hospitalised overseas; 3,900 deaths; around 150 cases of child abduction and 250 of forced marriage; and support for almost 6,000 British detainees.

FCO Posts overseas issued 450,000 full British passports every year, plus 11, emergency passports.

The FCO issues Travel Advice notices on 217 countries and territories: our travel advice website receives 400,000 visitors a month. Our call centre receives 8,000 calls every month, with flexible arrangements in place to increase capacity to deal with major crises.

[mrbojangles]

British people now make some 65 million overseas trips a year, and some 13 million British national live overseas.

British consular staff now deal with 3.5 million enquiries and some 85,000 new cases requiring more acute support every year.

Over the last year, cases dealt with included 4,200 British nationals hospitalised overseas; 3,900 deaths; around 150 cases of child abduction and 250 of forced marriage; and support for almost 6,000 British detainees.

FCO Posts overseas issued 450,000 full British passports every year, plus 11, emergency passports.

The FCO issues Travel Advice notices on 217 countries and territories: our travel advice website receives 400,000 visitors a month. Our call centre receives 8,000 calls every month, with flexible arrangements in place to increase capacity to deal with major crises.

Have you something to say Eric ?

[seonai]

Yes Eric, are you the rep for the British Consul. If so I need you.......

Seonai

[Diablo Bob]

All my British friends just want to know what address to use when they have their bar bills totaled and what terms the bar owner should be aware of prior to using the FCO as the guarantor for the upcoming invoice?

They really feel that since the British government has assumed the responsibility and bills of all the imigrants in Britian , it is only fair that the government offer the same support to them!

[markuk]

I would like to see them deal with expats - who are working or at least resident in a country and in many cases promoting British Interests get priority at the embassy instead of waiting in the q with all the tourists!!!!

[markuk]

After all the slating the embassy gets i am suprised there were no more comments??

[SiamOne]

I know this is a little off topic, but it would be wonderful if the embassies replaced all the staff who are responsible for issuing UK visas with normal human beings with some intelligence and compassion

[Abandon]

It would be a darn good idea if they oculd rethink their treaty with Thailand regarding transfer and sentence of prisoners .... of europe only britain thinks it is obliged to make prisoners transferred to Uk serve 20+ years - every civilised country re-sentences.