By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said its travel alert for France would remain classified as low risk, meaning exercise normal precautions, but advised people to steer clear of demonstrations.
In France, student protests over school conditions and teacher shortages have spread into a wider confrontation over living costs, public services and frustration with the government, with some protests escalating into violent clashes, looting and fires.
Although the ministry did not change its travel alert level, the Bureau of Consular Affairs added a description advising people to leave the area immediately if they encounter a protest.
A worker removes graffiti from the Bartholdi Fountain in Lyon, France, on Monday, two days after riots and looting occurred on the sidelines of nationwide cost-of-living demonstrations.
Photo: AFP
“As massive demonstrations and protests are ongoing across France, the representative office in France advises Taiwanese international students, overseas compatriots and nationals traveling to France to stay closely tuned to updates regarding the protest activities, avoid locations and surrounding areas where protests are taking place and enhance personal safety precautions,” it says.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) said the travel alert would remain at the current level, as the ministry continues to closely monitor the situation.
However, if the situation changes, the ministry would adjust accordingly, Chen added.
Taiwan’s representative office in France would maintain contact with the local government, as well as overseas Taiwanese, Taiwanese international students and Taiwanese traveling in France, he said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus secretary-general Hsu Yu-chen (許宇甄) said that although some European countries have issued advisories, the ministry has not raised its travel alert level.
She said the decision was “completely out of touch with reality” and the ministry has been slow to react.
Asked about the issue at a routine news conference yesterday, ministry spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said that when the protests broke out, the nation’s representative office in France immediately contacted local overseas communities and international student networks, but so far no request for emergency assistance has been reported.
As local public transportation is expected to be affected, Hsiao advised travelers to make arrangements for alternative transportation in advance.
If people encounter emergencies in France, they can call the local representative office (33-680-074-994) or the ministry’s Emergency Contact Center (0800-085-095) to ask for assistance, he said.