Over 1,000 British nationals head home amid coronavirus pandemic
- By Farid Ahmed (Qureshi) -
- Apr 05, 2020
More than 1,000 British nationals returned home to the UK from Pakistan this weekend.
In total over 4000 people are expected to have flown back home from Pakistan after the coronavirus outbreak, according to a statement.
There are around 100,000 Brits who reside in Pakistan and 21,000 Brits are in the country for a short term stay at any given time.
The British High Commission (BHC) in Islamabad is working hard with the Government of Pakistan and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to help British nationals get home, the statement said, adding its priority is to support the most vulnerable, including the elderly and those with medical needs.
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Staff at the British High Commission are working around the clock to help to operate a shift system, which is the biggest priority no, it maintained.
Talking to UK based Pakistani media through video link about the repatriation of British nationals from Pakistan after the outbreak of coronavirus, British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner said that it is the number one priority of his team now to provide Consular support to British nationals in Pakistan.
He said that our focus is to repatriate, elderly and people with underlying heath conditions first.
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The statement said the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is engaging with commercial airlines where commercial routes are still open and charted flights are only arranged as last resort to places where commercial airlines have stopped operating.