Repatriation begins for Belgians stranded in Middle East
Around 30 Belgians stranded in Oman are set to return home on Wednesday evening with Luxembourg’s assistance. Five people were able to fly back on Tuesday evening with help from the Netherlands.
The Dutch flight carrying the first five Belgians landed at Schiphol Airport on Wednesday morning. It was also transporting 91 Dutch citizens and several Luxembourgers. Another group of around 30 Belgians will depart from Oman later on Wednesday, assisted by Luxembourg.
More than 400 Belgians have registered for repatriation from the Gulf States, according to the Foreign ministry.
Foreign minister Maxime Prévot of Les Engagés and Defence minister Theo Francken of N-VA said Belgians stranded in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar would be prioritised.
Due to widespread airspace closures, many travellers cannot return independently. Currently, 374 Belgians are registered for repatriation by bus from Dubai or Abu Dhabi, and 36 from Qatar. The operation focuses only on temporary travellers; those living permanently or owning property in the region are not eligible.
"The current situation of armed conflict, the primary goal is to bring as many people as possible to safety"
Evacuees are not being flown directly to Brussels. A direct flight to Belgium would take much longer per rotation, meaning significantly fewer people could be brought to safety quickly.
“We understand that everyone would prefer to be repatriated directly to Brussels, but in the current situation of armed conflict, the primary goal is to bring as many people as possible to safety – and thus maximise their evacuation from the countries where the bombs are falling,” a government spokesperson said.
Evacuation by road
Prévot had earlier warned Parliament that the operation would be “extremely complex” and could take several days.
As airspace over the UAE and Qatar remains closed, evacuees are first transported by road to neighbouring countries with operational flights.
From Qatar, buses are scheduled to depart for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday evening. Travellers can then arrange commercial flights to Belgium.
From the UAE, buses will leave Dubai and Abu Dhabi for Muscat, Oman, starting on Friday. Evacuees will then be flown to Hurghada, Egypt, where they may join a Belgian military flight, though they are encouraged to book commercial flights if possible.
Military aircraft deployed
The ministry of Defence has deployed three aircraft: two A400M transport planes with capacity for around 100 passengers each, and one Airbus A330 MRTT with approximately 250 seats.
The government confirmed that military transport costs would be passed on to travellers at a “reasonable” rate, in line with Belgian consular law, and that travellers would be informed ofo the cost in advance. Once regional airspace reopens, evacuees will be expected to use commercial flights, as Belgium will not charter commercial aircraft.
The situation remains fluid, with further movements dependent on security developments in the region.
The Foreign ministry has activated an emergency number for affected citizens: +32 2 501 40 00.
Travellers who have not yet registered are encouraged to do so through the relevant Belgian embassies or via the Travellers Online platform.
The arrivals hall at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam as travellers are repatriated from the Middle East © PHOTO RAMON VAN FLYMEN / ANP
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