MP calls for more support to bring Fifers home

The government announced on Monday evening that tens of thousands of Britons stranded abroad by the coronavirus pandemic will be flown home under a new arrangement between the government and airlines. These measures, however, will still leave dozens of Fifers stranded abroad with no means of getting home.

One particular issue facing those stranded in New Zealand who are not permitted to use domestic flights if they are not New Zealand nationals, and the only flights they can use to fly home are flying out of Auckland.

North East Fife MP Wendy Chamberlain is calling for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to do more to return constituents stranded abroad to the UK. In her letter to the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, Wendy Chamberlain details 17 cases, encompassing 39 constituents stranded in New Zealand, Cambodia, Australia, Honduras.

One of these constituents Jack McLean has managed to return from Cambodia despite receiving no support from the Foreign office.

Jack has now returned to the UK after a British citizen, a schoolteacher from East Sussex, chartered a flight home for 100 Britons.

“Jerry Lewis almost single-handedly, certainly without any support or guidance from the foreign office or the UK Embassy, organised the repatriation of 100 people stranded on the other side of the world,” Jack said.

“While the home office was advising us to return using commercial flights that were being repeatedly cancelled, individuals have had to take it upon themselves to charter airlines to get us home safe.

“While I’m pleased that I have managed to return home safe and sound, this was incredibly distressing for all those involved, and I’m worried for those still stranded abroad without the assistance of the UK Foreign office.”

Wendy Chamberlain MP, who Mr McLean contacted for assistance, is calling for the Foreign Office to do more: “The Foreign Office is finally working with commercial airlines and repatriating those who are stranded without a means of getting home, but this is after two weeks of inaction.

“Even now there are still gaps in the system, leaving dozens of my constituents in foreign countries with diminishing resources, sleeping outside airports, repeatedly booking flights that are cancelled at the last moment.

“Our government cannot continue to leave individual citizens to unilaterally do what the government should be doing to assist them.

“The FCO claim that they only organise government repatriations in ‘rare and exceptional circumstances’ – I would be interested to hear what the government would consider more rare and exceptional than the first global pandemic in over 100 years.”

An FCO spokesperson said: “The government has partnered with a number of airlines who have committed to work together to get Brits back to the UK and up to £75 million has been made available for charter flights were commercial options are no longer available.

“We’ll continue working around the clock to bring people home.”