Like a bridge over troubled water: helping Brits in Belgium

Brussels, Gare du Midi. You’ve just arrived in Belgium. You’re excited about seeing the architectural magnificence of the Grand Place; looking forward to your first chocolate-coated waffle. You stride confidently towards the metro. You put your hand in your pocket to check your passport. Shock. It’s been stolen. Who do you call?

Ghent in the summer. You’ve already visited the Grasmarkt and you’re crossing the road to see St Baaf’s cathedral. A flashy car is driving down the street, slightly too fast. You jump back and slip on the kerb. You hear a snap. You find yourself in hospital. Who do you call?

Suddenly there’s an explosion. You see smoke rising nearby. You hear sirens. Who do you contact? You get in a tussle outside a nightclub and end up in a jail cell. Who do you choose for your one phone call?

When we think of the British Embassy to Belgium we often first think of diplomats, of an ambassador working hard to secure the UK’s interest by building bridges with Belgians. We think of foreign policy.

What we do not usually think of, however, is the essential role the embassy’s consular team plays in supporting British nationals in Belgium. The work is often difficult, sometimes heart-lifting, and always essential.

Each year, 1.8 million British nationals travel to Belgium, and a large number of British nationals live and work here. A small number of these nationals need help, and that is where, working closely with the Belgian authorities and, at times, some wonderful charities, the British Consulate steps in.

As British foreign secretary William Hague said in a speech last year, consular work is often the only way most people come into contact with the Foreign Office. Consular staff stand ready to help British nationals visiting or living in Belgium cope with problems ranging from family breakup to life-threatening accidents and violent acts such as the Liège shooting in December 2011.

We help people who need to find a doctor or legal advice, or who are struggling with bereavement. We help parents whose child has been abducted. We help traumatised victims of crime. We help those injured in accidents. But we are also there when people bring trouble on themselves by breaking local laws.

We can issue an emergency travel document if you lose your passport and need to travel urgently – in Belgium we issued just under 500 last year. We provide help if you are unfortunate enough to be the victim of a serious crime. If you end up in hospital, we will visit you if you wish or if there is a need. If you are in prison, as some Brits in Belgium unfortunately are, we can visit you to monitor your welfare, to help you understand the local legal system and to help you find an English-speaking lawyer.

We also provide travel advice about Belgium, and this is one of the most-viewed pages on our website. It’s there to help nationals stay safe during their visit by giving a picture of the risks they may face. Follow us on Twitter for updates.

But we must be clear that there are some requests we cannot handle. We cannot give advice on whether British nationals should be allowed to drink port in the morning, or give recipes for cucumber sandwiches. Yes, these are real requests we have received. On a more serious note, we cannot pay your bills or give you money. We cannot get you better treatment in hospital or prison than is given to local people. We cannot override the local authorities.

We also cannot emphasise enough the importance of good travel insurance to avoid you having to remortgage your house or pin your hopes on the Euromillions to pay for hospital bills overseas.

So we ask British nationals to be responsible, to be self-reliant and to take sensible precautions. This includes following our travel advice so that you ‘know before you go.’

We are there to help. As Simon and Garfunkel sang, when times get rough and friends can’t be found, like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down. And that is exactly what we will do.

For more information on the embassy and consulate, check out our new website