10,000 Britons still waiting to return home from overseas

MORE than 10,000 Britons stuck abroad have still not been repatriated, it has emerged, as a father in Iraq said he felt “abandoned” by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The FCO estimates that “low tens of thousands” of travellers remain stranded overseas, with 1.3 million who have returned to the UK.

Chris, aged 37, is among those still under strict lockdown in Iraq. Separated from his wife and four children in the UK, he has become frustrated with a lack of meaningful updates.

“They can’t tell me anything beyond the daily update emails they send out,” he said. “The emails just say there are no flights. My mother has been in hospital with Covid-19. She’s better and out now, but I’ve been sitting in this hotel room, not able to get home for her.”

Paul Jones, 48, from Swansea, has been at a family home in Orlando with his brother and his wife since March 14.

The novelty of an extended holiday has worn off, and they have had four commercial return flights rescheduled by Virgin. “My son is on his own in Swansea, and in terms of his mental well-being he just wants us to come home,” Mr Jones said.

For a lucky few, lockdown life abroad has been an altogether happier experience. James Hope-thompson, 52, said that he is “happily stranded” in Bangkok – pointing to the quick response of the Thai government to the pandemic. But his experiences do not reflect that of most Britons, many of whom are desperate to get home and see their families while growing frustrated with what they perceive as a slow and uncommunicative official response.

A spokesperson for the FCO said: “We know this is an anxious time for British travellers who are unable to return to the UK due to the disruption caused by the pandemic, and our staff continue to support all those who need assistance.”