The Swedish Foreign Ministry has expressed concern over the significant number of Swedes traveling to Lebanon during the Christmas and New Year holidays, despite a strong travel warning advising against it and urging those currently in Lebanon to leave the country. Erika Tindal Kanold, the press officer at the Swedish Foreign Ministry's media office, stated, "We do not have reliable information regarding the exact number of travelers. However, we know that there are far more than is appropriate—hundreds of travelers every day before and during the Christmas and New Year holidays."
She pointed out that "the security situation in the country and the region is deteriorating, and the Foreign Ministry's instructions are very clear at the highest level of warning against traveling to Lebanon, advising Swedes to leave. Therefore, no one should travel to Lebanon, and if someone is already there, they should leave Lebanon."
Kanold expressed regret that some Swedes are not following the strict instructions from the Foreign Ministry, noting that "the instructions serve as a precautionary measure for Swedes, and a clear warning that we consider the security situation dangerous and that it could deteriorate further in a short time. If the situation worsens, it may become very difficult to leave Lebanon, while the risks of staying there are significant."
She stated that "the Foreign Ministry and the Swedish Embassy in Beirut will have very limited ability to assist Swedes in Lebanon if the security situation deteriorates further," adding that the Foreign Ministry's travel advisory does not mean a travel ban, as each traveler is responsible for their own trip regardless of where they are going, but it is the strongest recommendation the Foreign Ministry can provide.
The Foreign Ministry and the Swedish Embassy in Lebanon have sent emails to registered Swedes to explain the meaning of the warning. They have also published their recommendations on various social media platforms. According to the press officer, the Foreign Ministry's instructions apply to all travel to all of Lebanon, whether for tourism, visiting, work, or other types of travel. The ministry has urged Swedes in Lebanon to leave the country, regardless of their location, considering that the situation is unpredictable and can deteriorate quickly. This applies to all of Lebanon, and it may be very difficult to leave the country if conditions worsen.
Regarding those traveling to Beirut to transit to Syria, Kanold mentioned that the Foreign Ministry has also issued the highest level of warning regarding Syria. The ministry has been urging Swedes since 2011 not to travel to Syria and to leave, as the ministry has very limited options to assist Swedes in crisis situations.
