Worldwide Kidnap Trends

Despite the presence of COVID-19 for the majority of 2020, a year which I am sure we will all remember, kidnappings were still in occurrence regardless of the hindered travel arrangements for people all over the world. Notable regional hotspots included Sub-Saharan Africa and the Americas which accounted for a combined total of 66% of worldwide kidnaps.

Looking forward into 2021, as travel (hopefully) begins to resume, the risk of kidnap remains present for both corporate employees, who travel extensively for work purposes, as well as High Net Worth Individuals. As 2021 begins, Mexico can be a reminder of criminal activity not showing signs of residing; there have been 95 homicides in just nine days, a staggering figure to the start of 2021. It tends to be more common that the people who are spending time in High Risk Areas across the globe are doing so for work purposes rather than a holiday, for example. Depending on the nature of work, your job could require you to visit some of the most volatile countries therefore having effective security, contingency plans and insurance is vital.

However, regardless of the security you may have in place, such as armoured escorts, spending time in High Risk Areas can increase your exposure to a crisis and the unexpected can happen. Therefore in the event of a crisis, such as a kidnap, having a comprehensive Kidnap and Ransom insurance policy could prove to be highly effective.

Examples of areas that could be prone to kidnap:

• Latin America (such as Columbia, Mexico or Brazil)
• West Africa (such as Mali or Ghana)
• Central Africa (such as The Central African Republic (CAR) or Angola)
• Southern Africa (such as Mozambique or Namibia)
  

This list highlights just a handful of places where the risk of kidnap is higher. Areas could be classed as higher risk due to factors ranging from being classed as ‘war zones’ through to higher levels of social or political unrest. Either way, there tends to be elevated levels of crime hence a greater risk of a crisis occurring.

A ‘Kidnap and Ransom’ policy does not just cover a single kidnap or a single ransom but enclosed in these policies is cover for the cost incurred across a variety of insured events, such as:

• Response Consultants
• Emergency Evacuation
• Express Kidnap
• Threat
• Hostage Crisis
• Even an Attempted Kidnap
  

When travelling to these volatile areas, the situation can deteriorate quickly which means that having your insurance policy cover you across a range of events is crucial as you don’t know what could happen next! Being aware of your surroundings and keeping up to date with the local news, for example, could prove to be beneficial as often these events occurring in High Risks Areas are not reported by the usual international news outlets. On top of this, having a close protection team, travelling in armoured vehicles, staying in secure compounds and having up to date and safe contingency plans can help to reduce the crises that you could be faced with on a daily basis in High Risk Areas.

If you travel widely, either for work purposes or private interests then we would recommend that you have a Kidnap and Ransom policy in place to ensure that you are comprehensively covered if the unexpected was to occur. Please get in touch with me directly to discuss more about this specialist insurance.

Charlie Firth