Travel Risk Assessment
How Hostage Diplomacy Is Shaping International Travel in 2025
In 2025, international travel is increasingly shadowed by a quiet but dangerous threat: state-led hostage diplomacy. Authoritarian regimes and even some allies are detaining foreign nationals not for crimes committed, but as tools of negotiation – bargaining chips in wider geopolitical disputes.
This practice is no longer limited to rogue states. It now includes governments with global influence, formal alliances, and established diplomatic relationships. And for travellers – whether business executives, journalists, or dual nationals – the implications could be serious.
What Is Hostage Diplomacy and How Does It Work?
Hostage diplomacy is the state-driven detention of foreign or dual nationals, often without a transparent legal process, in order to extract political or economic concessions from another country. In many cases, the detainees are accused of espionage or national security offences – charges that are rarely substantiated and often politically motivated.
From the imprisonment of a British-Iranian couple in Iran to the prolonged detention of foreign nationals in Russia, China, Turkey, and Venezuela, these cases reveal a strategic use of legal systems to apply diplomatic pressure.
Who Is Being Targeted – And Why?
Travellers at highest risk include dual nationals, especially those visiting countries that do not recognise second citizenships. Journalists, academics, security professionals, and individuals with government or military backgrounds are also more likely to be accused of espionage, whether or not any real intelligence activity took place.
Even minor infractions – such as possession of medication, harmless social media posts, or crossing borders without local context – can be manipulated into criminal charges under national security laws. In some cases, individuals are arrested not because of who they are, but because of when they happen to be there: following diplomatic disputes, elections, or failed coups.
How Do Authoritarian States Use Detentions as Leverage?
In countries where the judiciary can be controlled or influenced by government actors, detention becomes a political tool. Foreign nationals are held in isolation, denied legal representation, and refused consular access—often for months or years. The goal is rarely legal justice. Instead, detentions are used to pressure other states into economic concessions, prisoner swaps, or diplomatic de-escalation.
These detentions are rarely equal in value. A single civilian from a Western democracy can be exchanged for a high-level intelligence asset or a convicted arms trafficker. The imbalance is deliberate, and it’s what makes hostage diplomacy so appealing to regimes with limited means of negotiation.
Enhancing Resilience and Business Continuity Planning
Solace Global Risk is a leading provider of comprehensive risk management solutions, serving clients globally with a commitment to excellence. With a worldwide presence and a team of seasoned experts, Solace Global Risk empowers organisations to navigate complex risk landscapes with confidence and resilience.
Journey Risk Management
Diligent in-country travel security
Your duty of care doesn’t end the moment your people set foot in their destination – and neither does ours.
From transfers to ongoing security and emergency evacuations, our travel risk services always have you covered.
Global Security and Threat Intelligence
Be one step ahead to prevent a crisis
Arm yourself with the knowledge to avoid a potential threat from turning into a crisis. Intelligence advisories give you tailored reports to anticipate possible disruptions, mitigate risk and help you make well-informed decisions, faster.
Risk Management Software
Travel with confidence
Give your people peace of mind when they travel for work, so they remain focused on the job at hand. We mitigate risks, manage incidents if they occur, and support your people with security advice or help in a crisis.