UK has failed my daughter stuck in Peru, mother claims

Patrick Sawer

THE mother of one of hundreds of British nationals stranded in Peru has accused the UK authorities of failing to do enough to bring her daughter home before the last flight out of the country.

Britons stuck in Peru have reported being forced back into their hostels by armed security guards enforcing strict quarantine measures.

Helen Gordon said her daughter Sabina had been left to rely on German and Dutch embassy officials to help her find a flight out of the country.

The 22-year-old is now hoping to board a German flight tomorrow, one of the last expected to leave Peru.

Mrs Gordon, from London, said: “The British authorities don’t really seem to have thought this through. They’ve had over a month to plan how to get people out, but they seem to have left many of them, like Sabina, to fend for themselves.”

Around 400 British and Irish citizens are believed to have been stranded in the country. Sabina was unable to board either of two flights organised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office last month because her hostel had been locked down by armed security guards.

Dutch officials managed to find her a room at a hostel with a more relaxed regime and she had hoped to board a flight last Wednesday, but the promised transport from her hotel in Cusco to Lima’s airport failed to materialise.

Sabina wrote on social media on Thursday: “The UK have neglected to provide us with a contingency plan … We have five days to get out of Peru otherwise we will be here indefinitely.”

The FCO said its staff were in regular contact with stranded British nationals and had already arranged for more than 1,000 to leave Peru.

A spokesman added: “Unfortunately, a dozen passengers were refused access to the military flight from Cusco to Lima that was due to join up with the flight to London. The Peruvian authorities denied them boarding following health screening.

“We will continue to do all we can to support them.”