EU Repatriates 350,000 Citizens Amid Global Travel Restrictions, 250,000 Still Stranded

These repatriation operations concern citizens of European countries such as the United Kingdom, Norway and Iceland whose flights have been canceled due to coronavirus. In this regard, the European Union has set up a special team within its "Civil Protection" branch.

According to a senior European official, these operations follow the request of some 600,000 people. They had asked for help to return to their countries, either through their embassies or through EU missions abroad.

"Of these 600,000, about 350,000 were able to return, leaving about 250,000 European citizens outside the borders," he explained. According to him, these people are in more difficult countries or more tense circumstances, which complicates their repatriation.

For its part, the Belgian government declares to have organized "more than 25 repatriation flights" to ensure the return of its nationals blocked in Morocco or in other tourist destinations in the Mediterranean basin.