When a citizen of the United States is detained in a foreign nation for an issue with a passport, work visa or visitor visa, the local United States embassy may be able to settle the problem. Trying to leave a foreign country without your passport can lead to detention. When a citizen loses a passport or considers it stolen while abroad, she should contact the local United States embassy immediately. The United States embassy may be able to issue temporary papers to rectify the situation before any detention occurs. The swiftness of the outcome greatly depends on the country.
While in a foreign nation, a United States citizen is subject to the laws of that country. Often those laws will be significantly different from those of the United States, especially when it comes to drugs. People breaking the local law, even unknowingly, may be expelled, detained, fined, arrested or imprisoned. If detained by a foreign country for criminal violations, notify the United States embassy. The United States consular officers provide a variety of services to American citizens arrested abroad. The Department of State monitors the status of American citizens detained and imprisoned in foreign jails when asked by a citizen or a citizen's family.
The provisions of the Privacy Act protect the rights and privacy of all Americans. The Privacy Act, however, can complicate the State Department's efforts to assist an American abroad. In such a case, what happens to a U.S. citizen detained at a border becomes private information. Officers at the U.S. Consulate may not give out information about the detainee to anyone without the written permission of the detainee. This includes family members, friends, traveling companions and even the citizen's Congressional delegate. In such a case, the cause and outcome of the detention may legally have to remain private until the citizen is released.
The United States Department of State regularly monitors the conditions for travelers in countries around the world. From time to time, the State Department will issue warnings or alerts. Travelers should check with the State Department before leaving the United States to see if their travel destination is currently considered a safe place. If already abroad in one foreign country and considering travel to another, American citizens can check with the local embassy for travel advice to avoid any kind of detention in another country.
