Recently, the Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, announced that all British citizens abroad should seek to return to the UK immediately as much of the world goes into quarantine as a measure to stop the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises the following for UK citizens stuck abroad who have been instructed to return home:
- Be sure to contact the local British embassy or consular service as they will be able to help provide you with tailored assistance;
- If your airline is still operating flights back to the UK, you should contact them immediately and inform them of your situation to see what they can offer regarding it;
- Keep up to date with frequently updated FCO advice online, including advice on travelling home and what customs and laws to abide by.
The COVID-19 pandemic presents an unprecedented challenge in protecting and assisting British Nationals overseas. There is an evolving and complex set of conditions, based on restrictions on travel and lockdown in countries across the globe, sometimes with little or no notice at all.
In the coming days and weeks, the FCO have advised that their entire network has been mobilised in order to support this effort, with thousands of British Nationals being stuck in each country alone. They will be working tightly with many airlines to run charter flights, as supported financially by the UK Government, to return people home.
I would advise you to contact the FCO as soon as you can, if you have not done so already. 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.
