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Increased reports of travel emergencies in EuropeCNA TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The number of Taiwanese visitors to Europe seeking emergency assistance from Taiwan's representative offices in Europe in 2012 rose as visitor numbers increased, an official said yesterday, although actual percentages remained almost unchanged from previous years.
January 4, 2013, 12:02 am TWN Between January and November 2012, some 1,050 emergency cases were reported from among more than 235,500 Taiwanese travelers to Europe, or roughly 0.4 percent, up just 0.1 percent from the previous year, according to official statistics. Around 80 percent of the cases involved lost passports, Yaser Cheng, deputy director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of European Affairs, said at a news briefing. “Many of those 800 cases were victims of pickpockets,” Cheng said, warning Taiwanese travelers planning to visit Europe over the Lunar New Year holiday to pay attention to their personal belongings. The increased number of Taiwanese travelers to Europe is a result of Taiwan's inclusion in the European Union's visa-waiver program, as well as working holiday agreements between Taiwan and various European countries, he said.
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