UAE citizens in UK urged to take 'highest level of caution' after race riots

Embassy warns Emiratis against visiting areas of Britain affected by the unrest

Riot police push back anti-immigration protesters outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham. Getty Images

UAE citizens in the UK have been urged to “exercise the highest level of caution” due to a wave of riots and outbreaks of violence which have swept more than 20 towns and cities.

In a statement issued by the UAE embassy in the UK, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned UAE citizens against visiting areas affected by the unrest. It follows similar warnings by Australia, Nigeria, Malaysia and Indonesia.

The disorder followed the deaths of three children last week in a stabbing spree at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, north-west England, and was driven by false news reports on social media that the main suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker.

Axel Rudakubana, 17, who was born in Wales to Rwandan immigrant parents who are Christian, has since been charged with three murders and 10 attempted murders.

Police have made hundreds of arrests since the killings as a result of the riots, which began in Southport and have since spread to other towns and cities each night, including Rotherham, Middlesbrough, Belfast and Portsmouth.

In recent days, mobs have thrown bricks and flares, attacked police, burnt and looted shops, smashed the windows of cars and homes and targeted at least two hotels housing asylum seekers in a number of cities.

On Monday night in Belfast, the victim of a suspected hate crime was left in a serious condition. At one stage petrol was poured over a police Land Rover and set alight, prompting officers to fire two plastic bullets in response, striking one rioter on the hand.

A worker at a supermarket in Belfast which has been attacked three times calls for action to prevent it happening again. Addressing a special meeting of Belfast City Council, the man who gave his name as Bashir said there is a £250,000 bill for the damage and losses. He said while they can work to reopen the shop, they are wondering whether it will be attacked again.

As well as the attack on the shop, Bashir said he was also attacked personally by a group of six people. He told the council they threatened to stab him and he feared he would be killed.

He said that he and the shop owner, a man who came to Northern Ireland in 2016 fleeing the war in Syria, had to stand for hours watching the building on fire before they could get inside.

A statement issued by the UAE embassy on Monday evening said: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges UAE citizens in the United Kingdom to exercise the highest level of caution, and take the necessary precautions, in light of the unstable security situation in various cities across the UK.”

UAE citizens in the UK are also advised to register with the Twajudi service, which provides consular services.

The warning comes weeks after the embassy urged its citizens to avoid crowded areas while visiting British cities.

The embassy did not say why such measures were needed. However, in June, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned of the “high number of thefts” affecting Emiratis overseas, including in the UK.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer repeated his condemnation of the riots, telling the cabinet: “When I went to Southport I spoke to police who described what it was like to attend the mass stabbing of little girls and then to be back on duty the next day in riot gear, having bricks thrown at them.

“This is something no one would have ever wanted to see and we need to be calling it out for what it is. It is not protest. It is violent disorder and needs to be treated as such, as criminal activity.”

About 100 people have been charged with violent disorder and other offences such as possession of a weapon in the wake of the unrest, with more than 400 arrests taking place.

The country has readied 6,000 specialist police officers to deal with the far-right violence, which has prompted X owner Elon Musk to claim civil war in the UK was inevitable.

Far-right riots in the UK – in pictures

Justice Minister Heidi Alexander criticised Mr Musk, on Tuesday, calling his comments “deeply irresponsible”.

She added: “I think everyone should be appealing for calm.”

She told BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday that the government had freed up an extra 500 prison places and drafted in additional specialist police officers to deal with any more violence on the streets.

“We will make sure that anyone who is given a custodial sentence as a result of the riots and disorder, there will be a prison place waiting for them,” she said.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday convened an emergency meeting of ministers and police chiefs to discuss the situation.

The Home Office announced on Sunday that mosques would be offered greater protection under a new “rapid response process” designed to quickly tackle the threat of more attacks on places of worship.