All British nationals are being
urged to leave Tunisia because "a further terrorist attack is highly
likely", Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond says.
Thirty Britons were among 38 tourists killed in an attack there last month.
The Foreign Office estimates 2,500 to 3,000 UK tourists are in Tunisia and a few hundred British residents.
It is advising against all non-essential travel to Tunisia, and some travel firms are repatriating their British staff.
'More work needed'
The
FCO said that although the Tunisian authorities have put in place more
security measures, these do not "provide adequate protection for British
tourists".
Media captionForeign Secretary Philip Hammond: "A further terrorist attack is highly likely"
It said in its updated advice that tour operators were arranging additional flights back to the UK.
Britons
are urged to get in touch with their tour operators to plan their
return, with those travelling independently advised to return on
commercial flights.
Tunisia declared a state of emergency after the 26 June attack in the popular resort of Port El Kantaoui, just north of Sousse.
Witnesses
described how the gunman, identified as Tunisian student Seifeddine
Rezgui, opened fire at tourists on sunloungers outside the five-star
Hotel Rui Imperial Marhaba.
Plans to build a wall along Tunisia's border with Libya to counter the threat from militants were announced earlier this week. Mr
Hammond said: "While we do not have any information suggesting a
specific or imminent threat, since the attack in Sousse the intelligence
and threat picture has developed considerably, leading us to the view
that a further terrorist attack is highly likely."
He went on:
"The Tunisian investigation into those behind the Sousse attack, and
that on the Bardo Museum earlier this year, is on-going and the
Tunisians have made clear they want to track down further individuals
who they suspect may have links to this attack.
"Furthermore, we
have now completed an assessment of the security measures in tourist
areas and while we are working with the Tunisian authorities to further
strengthen those measures, we judge that more work is needed to
effectively protect tourists from the terrorist threat.
"Taking all these factors together, we judge that it is right and prudent to make this change today."
Thirty of the victims of the 26 June attack were British
The Association of British Travel Agents said those due to travel to Tunisia should contact the company they booked through.
Travelling
to Tunisia now would be likely to invalidate travel insurance policies,
but most policies will provide cover for those currently in the
country, it added.
A spokesman said: "Those with holidays booked
within the next 48 hours to Tunisia are advised to contact your travel
company to discuss available options. If you have booked a package you
will be entitled to a refund or alternative holiday."
The
association said that very low numbers of British tourists were
currently in Tunisia, following the Sousse attack; 25,000 are usually
expected at this time of year.
Thomas
Cook has cancelled all its bookings to Tunisia up until the end of
October, saying the "safety and well-being" of its customers were its
key concern.
"In response to the recent change in FCO advice we
have taken this decision to bring all Thomas Cook customers back to the
UK as soon as we can using third party carriers and on our 10 scheduled
flights over the weekend," a spokesman said. "Thomas Cook is strongly
advising its guests in the country to return on these flights."
The
holiday firm is sending specialist assistance teams to support its
customers and bring them back to the UK "as soon as possible".
Thomson
and First Choice staff working in Tunisia are being returned home
within the next 24 hours "as a precautionary measure", the companies
said.
Monarch Airlines said it would repatriate all customers in
resorts "back to the UK as soon as possible" and flights have been
organised to take them out of Tunisia by this weekend.
A spokesman
said the airline is cancelling all flights to Enfidha [an airport near
Sousse] for the rest of the summer season with "immediate effect".
All
customers who have already booked to travel there will get a full
refund or credit or they may be able to change their destination.
Mr
Hammond said the situation would be kept "under close review" in the
coming weeks and that the UK government would work with Tunisia "to
further understand the threat and to strengthen their security response
to it".
He added: "Earlier this afternoon I spoke to the Tunisian
Prime Minister and underlined our commitment to working with Tunisia to
help them tackle this threat and to support their efforts to develop
both their economy and their democracy."
Are you a British national in Tunisia? Are you following the FCO's travel advice? Send your comments to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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