A growing number of U.S. allies have issued travel warnings this week advising caution for those looking to travel to America.
This includes Germany, the U.K., Denmark and Finland, and while none of the advisories is a formal warning against travel, the guidance highlights the increasing concern about immigration enforcement and the unpredictability of border entry, even for those with valid travel documents.
Newsweek spoke with experts about the impact it could have.
Why It Matters
While the U.S. remains a close partner to many European nations, the move by four governments to publicly caution travelers shows increased concern over U.S. immigration and enforcement practices.
This comes following a number of border-entry incidents that happened in recent weeks, including when a French scientist was denied entry to the U.S. while on assignment for the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) after immigration officers searched his phone and found messages that were critical of President Donald Trump, the Guardian reported.
Additionally, U.K. tourist Becky Burke was deported from the U.S. earlier this month after enduring 19 days in a U.S. detention facility, according to the BBC. She was detained by U.S. immigration officials despite believing she had followed the correct procedures for her entry requirement.
What To Know
Britain updated its travel guidance for the U.S. this week, cautioning citizens that they could face detention or deportation if found in violation of entry rules.
“You should comply with all entry, visa and other conditions of entry. The authorities in the U.S. set and enforce entry rules strictly. You may be liable to arrest or detention if you break the rules,” the U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said.
Germany also updated its travel guidance for the U.S. this week following the detention of several German nationals by the country’s border authorities.
The Foreign Ministry warned that having a valid visa or ESTA does not guarantee entry and emphasized that border officials have full discretion to deny access.
On Friday, Denmark joined the other U.S. allies in issuing updated travel guidance for America, focusing on concerns for transgender travelers.
The advisory was revised after LGBT+ Denmark requested clarification amid U.S. policy changes under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The updated guidance notes that U.S. visa applications now require travelers to select either “male” or “female” as their gender, without a third option for those whose passports list an “X” designation or who have changed their gender.
The ministry advised such individuals to contact the American embassy prior to traveling.
The update follows Trump’s executive orders rescinding recognition of nonbinary genders and banning transgender individuals from military service – policies that have prompted legal challenges and international concern.
Meanwhile, Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs also urged travelers to exercise normal caution when traveling to the U.S. on Friday.
It warned that valid visas or ESTAs do not guarantee entry into the country and that new U.S. rules require travelers to list their birth-assigned gender as either “male” or “female.”
Despite the cautions, all four countries stopped short of recommending against travel, instead urging nationals to stay informed.
What People Are Saying
Susanne Branner Jespersen, head of secretariat LGBT+ Denmark, told RADIO IIII: “We are worried that people will be stopped at the airport and denied entry, or that they will be exposed to something that is transgressive and unpleasant at the airport.”
Paul Statham, a professor of migration at the University of Sussex, U.K., told Newsweek: “For most people (and especially wealthy white ones) I don’t think the UK Home Office advice on travel restrictions will be very significant on tourism or immigration. Groups who may feel targeted by Trump rhetoric and policies – trans people, in particular, may feel less safe and fear intrusive inspections and questions at the border.”
He added: “I think the U.K. (and Germany) had to update its travel advice to the U.S., based on the Burke case. I suspect they would prefer for that not to be in the papers too much, as they (the U.K. especially) will do anything not to irritate the Trump administration, hoping the cannons fire in other directions.”
Alex Nowrasteh, the vice president for economic and social policy studies at the CATO Institute, told Newsweek: “It’s unclear how much these warnings will affect tourism and immigration, but it can only be negative. American customs agents are reviled by travelers for good reason – they’re rude, crude, and tyrannical. I’m an American citizen who moved back to the US without a phone or address and they wouldn’t let me leave until I figured out the address where I was staying, so just imagine how they treat foreigners. Every CBP officer needs a lesson in basic courtesy, manners, and how to behave in a civilized society. In that way, CBP officers behaving worse under the Trump administration is just a small change from their normal behavior.”
The Lincoln Project, a pro-democracy organization in the U.S., which has more than 2.8 million followers on X, wrote in a post on the platform on Thursday: “Our allies are now warning their citizens that traveling to the U.S. means they risk being unlawfully arrested. This administration continues to embarrass us.”
Rachel Bitecofer, a political analyst who has more than 201,000 followers on X, wrote on the platform: “As I said on This is America this week, soon when foreign correspondents write about the U.S they’ll be adding the ‘a country known for human rights violations.'”
Michael J. Hout, a contributor to the news outlet Visegrad24, wrote in a post on X: “Ironic that countries opting to import criminality, mass amounts of rape, terrorist attacks would issue a travel warning for the US. I’m an American living in Poland. The UK and Germany are two countries I am avoiding (and I used to live in Germany).”
What’s Next
It remains unclear if these advisories will impact travel volumes between the U.S. and Europe or prompt any formal response from American authorities.
