Government assistance to their nationals and policies towards kidnapping groups

Information on the type of support governments can provide to their nationals in the wake of a kidnap incident can usually be found on the foreign affairs department website. For instance:

The UKā€™s Foreign and Commonwealth Office has published Support for British Nationalā€™s Abroad: A Guide

Australiaā€™s Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade’s guidance is inĀ theirĀ Consular Services CharterĀ and in theirĀ Smart Traveller guide.

Global Affairs Canada’s guidance can be found on their Consular Service Charter

Policies on hostage-taking and resolution vary from government to government, and the information can be found in policy and position papers or statements made by elected officials. It is essential to know a government’s policy in order to understand the parameters within which any resolution can take place. For instance, in many countries, it is illegal for anyone (individual or organisation) to pay a ransom to a proscribed terrorist organisation.

Overview

The kidnapping or arbitrary detention of an employee is a challenge for all involved, particularly because it is a sensitive and emotional crisis which affects many, from the hostage and their family to their colleagues and...

We are the hostageā€™s employer but we did not send our employee to the country in which they have been taken

If the hostage is an employee of your organisation but the kidnap occurred outside of their employment, you are urged to continue paying their salary for as long as is feasible as part of good corporate...

As the Employer, What Are the Legal and Financial Implications for Us?

Under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, an organisation that has sent an employee to a dangerous area is responsible for that employeeā€™s safety.

Information on Kidnapping

There is very little information available about kidnapping because it is a crime that is often unreported in the media and academics struggle to get access to former hostages and their families to conduct research.