Miles Routledge: who is ‘danger tourist’, why is he held by the Taliban - what happened in Afghanistan?

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The 23-year-old faced backlash when he travelled to Afghanistan in 2021 after googling the ‘10 most dangerous countries in the world’

The “danger tourist” Miles Routledge is among three UK nationals being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

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The 23-year-old faced backlash when he travelled to the country in 2021 after googling the “10 most dangerous countries in the world” and had to be evacuated by the British Army after the Taliban gained control of the country.

The two other men being held are charity medic Kevin Cornwell and another unnamed UK national who manages a hotel in Kabul, both are being assisted by the non-profit organisation the Presidium Network.

The Home Secretary Suella Braverman has said that the government is “in negotiations”. Speaking on the Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme on Sky News, she stated that “the government is in negotiations and working hard to ensure people’s safety is upheld”.

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So who is Miles Routledge, why is he being held by the Taliban and what happened when he was in Afghanistan in 2021? Here’s everything you need to know.

Who is Miles Routledge?

Routledge is a 23-year-old graduate student from Birmingham who faced backlash after he travelled to Afghanistan in 2021 on the eve of the Taliban rising to power.

Undated photo of Miles Routledge in Afghanistan (Photo: PA Media)Undated photo of Miles Routledge in Afghanistan (Photo: PA Media)
Undated photo of Miles Routledge in Afghanistan (Photo: PA Media) | PA

The “danger tourist” whose Twitter bio explains: “I go to the most dangerous places on Earth for fun!” has since visited other treacherous locations including the front line between Ukraine and Russia and Snake Island in Brazil.

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Why is he being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan?

It’s unclear why Routledge has been detained by the Taliban and as of yet it is not known how long he has been held for.

The “danger tourist” was posting regularly on social media up until the end of February, with his last social media post on Twitter from February 27. Posts prior to this showed him “in transit” in Dubai.

What happened in 2021?

This not the first time that Routledge has found himself in trouble in Afghanistan. In August 2021 the University of Loughborough graduate visited the country just as the Taliban was closing in on the capital.

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His tour guide managed to get him into an UN safe house and he was evacuated by the British Army on a flight from Kabul Airport.

Reported by Lad Bible at the time, he picked the destination after googling the “10 most dangerous countries in the world”.

Routledge explained: “I googled the 10 most dangerous countries in the world, and then I used that as a shopping list. At the top was Afghanistan. I messaged some people, watched some YouTube videos and thought ‘this stuff’s alright!’ I thought as the UK and US are still there, it’s got to be pretty safe. I thought ‘goofing off in Afghanistan...sounds good!’”

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What has the government said?

Speaking on the Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme on Sky News, Home Secretary Suella Braverman addressed the incident. She said: “Anyone travelling to dangerous parts of the world should take the utmost caution. If they are going to do that they should always act on the advice of the Foreign Office travel advice.”

She continued: “If there are risks to people’s safety, if they’re a British citizen abroad, then the UK government is going to do whatever it takes to ensure that they’re safe. And the government is in negotiations and working hard to ensure people’s safety is upheld.”

When asked what negotiations are currently underway Braverman said: “If there are problems and if there are safety concerns to British individuals abroad then the FCDO will be working actively to ensure people are safe.”

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Whilst a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) spokesman told PA Media: “We are working hard to secure consular contact with British nationals detained in Afghanistan and we are supporting families.”

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