The U.S. State Department has updated its travel warning for Libya to the highest level, advising Americans not to visit the highly unstable country “for any reason” — and to “prepare a will and end-of-life instructions” if they must go there.
Libya has long been under a Level 4 travel advisory, the most severe designation issued by the State Department. Level 4 advisories are reviewed and updated at least once every six months.
On August 31, the State of Libya advisory was updated to “Do Not Travel.”
“Do not travel to Libya for any reason due to crime, terrorism, health concerns, unrest, kidnapping, or landmines,” the State Department said.
“Clashes among armed groups, including violence between competing armed groups and government-aligned forces, can occur at any time,” the advisory warned.
“Weapons are plentiful in Libya and are controlled by various government organizations, armed groups, tribal factions, and criminal organizations,” it added.
“Targeted kidnappings and assassinations are common and committed by criminal organizations and armed groups. Crimes of opportunity occur frequently. Wealthy or foreign nationals are often victims of these crimes,” it said.
The State Department noted there is “currently no U.S. Embassy in Libya,” and due to safety risks the U.S. government cannot provide emergency services to Americans in the country. Consular services for Libya are currently handled by the U.S. Embassy in Tunisia.
Americans who absolutely must visit Libya were advised to “have a plan to leave in an emergency that does not depend on U.S. government help” and to prepare for the trip by deleting “any sensitive photos, comments, or content that might be seen as controversial or inappropriate in your destination” from all devices and social media accounts.
Travelers were also told to consider hiring private security, establishing protocols with their loved ones to prove they are alive in the event of a kidnapping — and to “prepare a will and end-of-life instructions” for the worst-case scenario.
“Leave DNA samples with your medical provider in case it is necessary for your family to access them for identification purposes,” the advisory said.
The State Department did not explain why the travel advisory for Libya was increased in severity. Fox News Digital requested more information on Friday, but did not receive an immediate response.
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