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Safety
The Government of France maintains a national
anti-terrorism plan, 'Vigipirate Renforce'. Under this plan, in
times of heightened security concerns, the government mobilizes
police and armed forces at airports, train and metro stations,
and other high-profile locations such as schools, embassies, and
government installations. Over the last year, arrests have been
made in France in connection with various possible terrorist
plots. Travelers should remain alert and vigilant and report any
suspect packages or suspicious activities to local police.
All passengers on subways and trains are urged
to be aware of their surroundings and to report any unattended
baggage to the nearest authority.
In the past, political assassinations and
random bombings have occurred in France. The Basque Separatist
Party (ETA) and the National Front for the Liberation of Corsica
(FLNC) continue to operate in the south of France and
occasionally bomb local government institutions, banks, travel
agencies, etc. There have been numerous politically motivated
bombings on the island of Corsica and there have been 2 bombings
on the mainland near Nice following the conviction and sentencing
of several prominent separatists in France.
Violent civil disorder is rare in France. In
the past, however, student demonstrations, labor protests, and
other routine demonstrations have turned into violent
confrontations between demonstrators and police. Travelers are
advised to avoid street demonstrations.
Monaco has a relatively low rate of violent crime. Nevertheless,
while the overall crime rate has fallen slightly in recent years,
the volume of crimes involving violence has increased in France.
Thieves commonly target vehicles with non-local license plates
and work in or near tourist attractions such as museums,
monuments, restaurants, hotels, beaches, trains, train stations,
airports, and subways. Americans in Monaco should be particularly
alert to pickpockets in train stations and subways. Photocopies
of travel documents and credit cards should be kept separate from
the originals.
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