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European Commission reminds EU citizens of right to consular protection
By Noreen Bowden | December 1, 2008
The European Commission has issued posters to inform EU citizens of their rights to consular protection.
The poster reminds expats that if there is no consulate of their home country in the non-EU state in which they are in, they may request urgent assistance from any other EU country.
As a citizen of the European Union, you can expect the embassies and consulates of any other EU country to assist you on the same conditions as nationals of that State and in particular to :
- provide you with an emergency travel document
- contact your family, your next of kin and the authorities in your country
- protect you if you are in danger or difficulty, especially as a result of arrest, detention, an accident or serious illness
- provide the help you need to be evacuated or repatriated.
To enjoy this protection :
- you must be a citizen of an EU Member State
- you must be in a country that is not a Member of the European Union
- your country must have no consular or diplomatic representation in the country in question.
Visit the European Commission’s website on consular protection for more information.
See the Department of Foreign Affairs’ list of Irish embassies and consulates abroad.
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