Stanford Report, March 17, 2010

Stanford advises students to heed government travel warnings

The following warning was sent to students from Greg Boardman, vice provost for student affairs:

If you are traveling abroad, you should be aware of the U.S. State Department web site where you can access international travel information that will be helpful in alerting you to locations you should avoid.  In addition, the university's international travel policy strongly advises against travel to countries where the U.S. Department of State has issued a Travel Warning.

Recently, the State Department added several countries to its list of Current Travel Warnings. Countries are included on this list when the State Department determines that "long-term protracted conditions make a country dangerous or unstable." A Travel Warning also indicates that the U.S. government's ability to assist travelers in these countries is constrained.

Please note that both Mexico  and Haiti are now on the list of Current Travel Warnings.

  • In Mexico, the Northern border states of Tijuana, Nogales, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey and Matamoros have experienced an increase in violent crime and it is considered unsafe to travel in these areas.
  • In Haiti, relief efforts following the devastating earthquake continue, but damage to key infrastructure limits access to basic services and local resources are strained. For those interested in helping, it has been recommended that cash donations to relief organizations will be most effective in the rebuilding efforts.