PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus (1 May 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish information on the allocation of the £75 million for the repatriation of UK citizens; and whether UK citizens that have incurred costs to repatriate themselves are eligible to apply for financial support.

Asked by:
Zarah Sultana (Independent)

The British Government is working with the airline industry and host governments across the world to help bring back British travellers to the UK as part of the plan announced by the Foreign Secretary on 30 March - with up to £75 million available for special charter flights from priority countries, focused on helping the most vulnerable travellers. A proportion remains and the work is ongoing. We are determined that the cost of a flight will not be a barrier to bringing British travellers home but we are asking passengers to make a contribution so that we can put on as many flights and bring back as many people as possible. To set a limit on the costs to travellers, we have capped prices: for flights under 6 hours at £400; 6-10 hours at £600; and 10 hours + at £800 (using the airline industry's 'time in air' calculator). Costs above this amount are borne by the Government.

We hope most travellers will be able to claim their costs from their travel insurance but for those British Nationals that cannot afford the cost of a flight to return, and have no other funding options, they may be eligible for financial support through an emergency loan from public funds.

More details can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/financial-assistance-abroad/financial-assistance-abroad#if-you-need-financial-help-abroad

Answered by:
Nigel Adams (Conservative)
11 May 2020