The Covid-19 pandemic presents an unprecedented challenge in protecting and assisting British Nationals overseas. The FCO face a constantly changing and complex set of conditions, based upon restrictions on travel and lockdown in countries across the globe, sometimes with little or no notice at all. For example, between 22-24 March 80 countries placed restrictions on their borders.
FCO travel advice strongly urges those British Nationals who are currently overseas but living in the UK to return as soon as possible. Advice is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus
The FCO’s priority in the coming days and weeks will be to help British Nationals currently overseas to return home.
Working with airlines and foreign governments, the FCO have already helped hundreds of thousands of British Nationals return home, including:
- Arranging specially chartered flights for over 1600 British travellers from China, Ghana, Peru and Tunisia and a further 1200 people from cruise ships in the US, Japan and Brazil.
- Assisting over 8500 people in Morocco to fly home, with the Embassy team getting them on to 49 commercial flights after travel restrictions were introduced.
- Helping over 4000 people to get back from Jamaica since restrictions on air travel were imposed.
- Persuading Qatar Airlines to provide over 1000 extra seats on their route from Australia, providing 3500 seats every day since Friday 27 March.
- Helping 5000 UK Nationals to return from Cyprus by liaising with airlines and the Cyprus government to facilitate their return.
- Working with the Indonesian authorities to unblock a visa permission issue to allow aroun 5000 British Nationals to leave Bali.
- Supporting the return of more than 12000 British Nationals from Egypt.
- Supporting the repatriation of 230 British Nationals from the H10 Costa Adeje Hotel in Tenerife, and providing consular support to up to 200,000 British Nationals in Spain as they rebooked commercial returns.
On 30th March, the Foreign Secretary announced a new partnership between the Government and airlines to fly home more stranded British travellers where commercial routes do not exist. The Government will provide up to £75 million in financial support to enable special charter flights to priority countries, operated by airlines including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, easyJet, Jet2.com and Titan. This service has already begun, with flights earlier this week from Ghana and Tunisia. Consular teams are also working with people to consider their options.
For more information:
FCO’s travel advice: coronavirus specific: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus
FCO’s travel advice: country specific: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
Contact details to reach Embassies, high commissions and consulates can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/world/embassies
The UK number is 020 7008 1500.
