The federal government is warning people to beware of travelling to places where there is a high risk of kidnapping.
Afghanistan, Colombia, Iraq, eastern Malaysia (Sabah), southern Philippines, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and parts of North and West Africa are of particular concern, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's kidnapping threat worldwide bulletin says.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop says journalists and humanitarian workers are especially at risk owing to the nature of their work.
"I reiterate the government's long-standing policy to not make payments or concessions to kidnappers so as not to increase the risk to other Australians of further kidnappings," Ms Bishop said in a statement on Tuesday.
The government may be severely limited in its ability to offer consular assistance in high-risk areas.
The minister stressed that was the responsibility of an individual and their employer to undertake their own security assessment and implement their own risk management plan before entering a high-risk zone.
The Australian government is not able to provide security protection, she said.
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