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British government finally plans to repatriate stranded expats and tourists
| Published: | 31 Mar at 6 PM |
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Finally, the UK government has pledged to supply the funds necessary to repatriate British tourists and expats trapped overseas by the worldwide coronavirus lockdowns.
In an announcement made yesterday by the UK’s Foreign Secretary, Britain has now taken financial responsibility for the repatriation of over a million tourists and expats stranded worldwide. The briefing confirmed a budget of around €85 million and stated a memorandum of understanding has been signed by Virgin, EasyJet, Titan Airways and jet2. UK nationals who booked flights but were unable to use them as well as those trapped in countries where routes are still able to be used can expect to be able to return to the UK as soon as can be arranged.
Worldwide British Embassies and consulates are now on standby to inform any Brits in their location when a flight becomes available, with priority being given to those with medical problems as well as the elderly. British citizens in countries where huge numbers of tourists are trapped will also be prioritised. At the present time, some 150,000 Britons have been flown home from Spain, with charter flights having been used where necessary.
Meanwhile in Spain, the government is preparing to track all citizens via their mobile phones, according to an announcement made yesterday. Mobile network operators are granting government access to each phone’s geo-location in order to discover the main areas of contagion by the covid-19 virus. Data from the date the virus began to spread will be analysed in order to discover the main routes of the contagion and an app will be released to allow users to self-assess their chances of infection.
In an announcement made yesterday by the UK’s Foreign Secretary, Britain has now taken financial responsibility for the repatriation of over a million tourists and expats stranded worldwide. The briefing confirmed a budget of around €85 million and stated a memorandum of understanding has been signed by Virgin, EasyJet, Titan Airways and jet2. UK nationals who booked flights but were unable to use them as well as those trapped in countries where routes are still able to be used can expect to be able to return to the UK as soon as can be arranged.
Worldwide British Embassies and consulates are now on standby to inform any Brits in their location when a flight becomes available, with priority being given to those with medical problems as well as the elderly. British citizens in countries where huge numbers of tourists are trapped will also be prioritised. At the present time, some 150,000 Britons have been flown home from Spain, with charter flights having been used where necessary.
Meanwhile in Spain, the government is preparing to track all citizens via their mobile phones, according to an announcement made yesterday. Mobile network operators are granting government access to each phone’s geo-location in order to discover the main areas of contagion by the covid-19 virus. Data from the date the virus began to spread will be analysed in order to discover the main routes of the contagion and an app will be released to allow users to self-assess their chances of infection.
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