Coronavirus: Thousands of Britons to be brought home on rescue flights from South Asia
The Foreign Office says it has so far repatriated more than 7,300 people from 13 countries.
Saturday 18 April 2020 23:08, UK
Thousands of Britons are to be brought home on rescue flights from South Asia, while many say they are still stuck in other countries.
Under plans announced by the Foreign Office, 7,000 people will be put on 31 charter flights running between 20 and 27 April, with elderly people and those with underlying conditions taking priority.
A total of 17 flights will leave from India, 10 from Pakistan and four from Bangladesh.
It is part of a £75m scheme announced on 30 March by Dominic Raab to return Britons home from countries affected by the coronavirus crisis.
Flights have already been chartered from countries including Bolivia, Ecuador, Philippines and India.
The government has faced criticism that it has not done enough to help thousands of Britons stranded abroad during the pandemic that causes COVID-19.
Many say they are still stranded in places including the United Arab Emirates, Peru, Argentina, Turkey, Ghana and the Caribbean.
Sarah Smith wrote on Twitter: "Currently stuck abroad was meant to return home from the Carib on the 1st April, now had three flights cancelled by British airways.
"Having seen the news conference presented by @DominicRaab a few weeks ago about the desire to get brits home we have heard absolutely nothing?"
Another social media user wrote: "Still waiting on turkey direct flights to scotland..."
There had also been anger in Pakistan after Britons trying to return home were allegedly encouraged to buy plane tickets for upwards of £800.
Tabassum Niamat wrote on Twitter: "How are families with 4 upto 10 family members able to afford tickets that are being sold for £800+. These do not sound like repatriation flights! Why are Pakistani Brits not afforded the same care as other Brits?"
Days later, she claimed passengers were left waiting at the airport without food "for hours" after buying tickets.
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on , , ,
On Monday, shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy wrote to the Foreign Office calling for it to take urgent action to repatriate British citizens.
"For too many British citizens there is a growing sense they have been abandoned," she wrote.
Some 1.3 million people have returned to the UK on commercial flights since the end of January.
The Foreign Office says it has so far repatriated more than 7,300 people from 13 countries.
By comparison, Germany said on Thursday it had repatriated 60,000 citizens on 240 charter flights.
Announcing the new flights, Mr Raab said: "We are working around the clock to get British travellers home. Since the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, we've helped more than a million British citizens return home on commercial flights - backed up by our work with the airlines and foreign governments to keep flights running.
"Our special charter deal with the airlines has enabled us to return thousands more."
Foreign Office minister Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon said: "We are in a truly unprecedented situation, and I know people are concerned about getting home to their loved ones.
"Foreign Office staff in the UK and Bangladesh have been working tirelessly with the Bangladeshi authorities to help British travellers who want to come back to the UK and these flights mean people can now do that."