PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus (4 May 2020)

The UK 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.

We will prioritise vulnerable British nationals most at risk from the effects of Coronavirus who normally live in the UK and are trying to return home for these flights, together with their families who normally live with them in the UK. We are giving additional consideration to the local context and the situation of the individual themselves, this can include lock-down processes in country, access to reliable healthcare, possible reduction in access to routine medication, and those at additional risk if they contract the virus for example the elderly or those with pre-existing medical conditions.

In many countries, commercial flights have also continued to operate and have been able to return British nationals to the UK. We are working with host governments to keep flights running and airspace open where possible for this to continue to happen.