Ministerial Reply About The Plight Of UK Nationals In Haiti and Democratic Republic of the Congo Awaiting Evacuation from Haiti due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and a helpful letter from the Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab MP, about the challenges and progress in bringing British Nationals home.

Apr 2, 2020 | News

 

Ministerial Replies About The Plight Of UK Nationals In Haiti and Democratic Republic of the Congo Awaiting Evacuation from Haiti due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and a helpful letter from the Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab MP, about the challenges and progress in bringing British Nationals home.

Haiti:

Baroness Sugg, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL2854):

Question, Lord Alton of Liverpool:


To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received about British humanitarian aid workers arranging evacuation from Haiti due to the COVID-19 pandemic; how many British nationals are currently unable to return from Haiti; what assessment they have made of the personal safety of such workers: and what discussions they have had with the government of Haiti about opening airspace and borders to charter flights for evacuation. (HL2854)

Tabled on: 24 March 2020

Answer:
Baroness Sugg:

We have advised against all but essential travel to Haiti since February 2019 because of the volatile security situation. We are closely monitoring the presence of UK nationals in Haiti, including humanitarian aid workers, and their wellbeing remains our priority. We are working closely with other diplomatic missions in Haiti to enable British people to get home. British Nationals are currently able to travel to the UK via the United States and Canada from Haiti, providing they hold a valid ESTA (USA) and fulfil the entry requirements including not having visited the UK, Ireland, Schengen zone, Iran or China within the previous 14 days, or ETA (Canada) as well as on a flight to Paris open to European nationals. Consular services are delivered through our Embassy in Santo Domingo and our consular team is working around the clock to provide support, advice and information to all affected British nationals.

Date and time of answer: 02 Apr 2020 at 12:43.

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DRC

Democratic Republic of the Congo 

Dear Lord Alton,

 

Thank you for your email on behalf of Patrick, who is currently stuck in Lubumbashi, DRC, along with other British nationals.

 

I have checked with the Consul at our Embassy in Kinshasa, he has confirmed that the Embassy is aware of the group in Lubumbashi and that they have been in contact with a number of them, either directly, or via the Embassy’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. They have confirmed that they are working hard with the government, airlines and other diplomatic mission to ensure that those who wish to leave are able to do so. They will keep the group updated on the situation directly, and via their social media and the FCO’s Travel Advice.

Kind regards

Courtney

Mr Courtney Roots | Country Casework Support | Consular Directorate

Room WH4.26 | Foreign and Commonwealth Office | King Charles St | London | SW1A 2AH

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A helpful letter from the Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab MP, about the challenges and progress in bringing British Nationals home.

Dominic Raab

Dominic Raab 1

Dominic Raab 2

Dominic Raab 3

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