Brits in Dubai Beg for Help While the FCDO Stands By. What Has Gone Wrong?
British nationals detained overseas are increasingly bypassing the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) altogether. Instead, they contact specialist organisations like ours or instruct private lawyers directly. When asked why, the response is often blunt: “they can’t do anything anyway.” This reflects a growing lack of confidence in the support British citizens expect from their own government. They turn to us at Detained in Dubai for practical help, legal strategy, and genuine advocacy.
Many detainees and their families tell us they never approached the embassy because they believed that little would be done. That perception alone is deeply concerning, especially as it spreads among fellow cellmates. There is also a documented history of authorities actively circulating rumours to discourage detainees from seeking consular help. Brits are complaining that the FCDO appears to have made a conscious, internal policy decision to scale back diplomatic efforts on behalf of its own citizens. The result is a dangerous downward spiral that leaves British nationals exposed and unprotected.
The latest case illustrates the depth of the problem. A British citizen currently held in the UAE has smuggled out a handwritten note stating that he and fifteen other prisoners in his cell have been beaten by police. This comes in the wake of previous documented cases, including the severe beating and torture of British grandfather Albert Douglas. His son Wolfgang, a commentator at GB News, previously said he was considering legal action against the FCDO, “My father has been living in prison for almost a year after being violently assaulted by prison guards. I am fully aware of what happened to Lee Bradley Brown and live in worry every day that I will never see my father again. He has been living in pain and with broken bones since the attack. I have told the FCDO over and over again but most of the time, they avoid calls, ignore emails and give conflicting information.”
One has to ask: is the FCDO afraid of the UAE? Is it unwilling to engage robustly for fear of damaging trade relations, investment flows, or diplomatic funding? Whatever the internal calculus, British citizens are paying the price.
We have not seen this passive approach from other countries. France, for example, has repeatedly secured the swift release of its nationals through active, high-level diplomatic intervention, leveraging strong bilateral ties to the clear advantage of its citizens. Other nations treat the protection of their people abroad as a core pillar of foreign policy. The UK, by contrast, seems to treat consular support as an optional extra and easily sacrificed when inconvenient.
British citizens and their families are increasingly questioning whether the UK is reluctant to engage robustly with certain partner states, including the UAE. Whether driven by strategic priorities or a desire to preserve bilateral relations, the practical effect is that individuals feel unsupported at the most critical moments.
This has created a concerning cycle: citizens lose confidence and do not seek help early; cases escalate without intervention; and the perception of inaction becomes further entrenched. In parallel, parts of the media have framed detained individuals in a negative light, particularly those who have chosen to live or work abroad. That narrative is not only unhelpful; it risks undermining the fundamental principle that British nationals are entitled to protection regardless of where they are or why they went abroad.
Cases such as that of Albert Douglas highlight the frustrations many British detainees and families have raised about the FCDO’s approach. During his detention in Dubai, support was limited and lacked the urgency or high-level diplomatic engagement the situation demanded. Meaningful progress in his case came through our support and United Nations assistance, rather than diplomatic channels alone. His experience has become a reference point for families who feel they must turn to external advocacy, legal pressure, or media attention to prompt action, reinforcing the view that the UK’s response is often procedural rather than proactive.
What has happened to the United Kingdom? A country once known for standing firmly behind its nationals now appears content to circulate anti-citizen narratives in the domestic media. Expats and travellers are demonised as “tax exiles” or reckless adventurers who somehow deserve less protection simply because they chose to live, work, travel, or gain life experience overseas. This rhetoric is not only unfair, it’s dangerous. It normalises the abandonment of British people in their hour of need and erodes public support for consular assistance. The narrative further exonerates the UK government for its lack of sufficient travel warnings and constant support of the UAE's marketing and promotion to British citizens.
Travel and work abroad are common realities of modern life: gap years, international careers, business opportunities, family visits, and more. None of these should strip a citizen of their government’s support. International incidents, wrongful arrests, or human rights abuses can happen to anyone. Families at home deserve to know that, no matter the circumstances, their loved ones will receive the full weight of UK diplomatic protection. A country that doesn’t care for its own citizens is depleted on the international stage. What other country can respect it?
British nationals abroad are entitled to expect that their welfare will be taken seriously, that credible allegations of mistreatment will be addressed, and that their government will engage constructively but firmly where required.
There is an urgent need to restore confidence in that commitment. At present, too many British citizens feel they must rely on external support networks rather than their own government when they need help most.
The FCDO must urgently reverse its apparent policy of diplomatic disengagement. Strong ties with the UAE should be used to protect British nationals, not to shield the UAE from legitimate scrutiny. Consular access, welfare checks, and meaningful intervention must become non-negotiable. Britain’s citizens, at home and abroad. deserve nothing less.
We call on the Foreign Secretary and all Members of Parliament to demand answers. The protection of British nationals must never be treated as collateral damage in the pursuit of trade or geopolitics.
