Foreign minister announces evacuation of Belgian citizens in Middle East
Foreign minister Maxime Prévot said on Tuesday that he is working with Defence minister Theo Francken on plans to evacuate Belgian citizens stranded in the Middle East due to the war in Iran.
Speaking in the Chamber of Representatives, Prévot said Belgium would cooperate with partner countries, including Luxembourg, to organise return flights. Military aircraft will be used for the evacuations.
The Foreign minister cautioned that the operation could take several days to begin, citing "enormous logistical challenges". Evacuations will require not only available flights but also guarantees of safe passage to airports and a safe airspace.
Prévot added that he had discussed with other European countries and the United States the possibility of securing at least a temporary ceasefire to allow foreign nationals to leave the region safely.
"I understand the annoyance and impatience of our fellow citizens, but the situation is extremely complex. Our services are doing what they can," he said.
2,500 stranded tourists
In the meantime, he urged Belgian citizens to seek commercial flights home where possible. "We simply do not have the capacity to bring thousands of people back in a few days," the Foreign minister said.
There are currently nearly 26,000 Belgian nationals in the wider region, including around 2,500 tourists. Many of them are stranded in popular destinations such as Qatar and Dubai, whose international airports have been severely disrupted by the conflict. Prevot said that the operation would focus on bringing home the stranded tourists first.
© BELGA PHOTO EMILE WINDAL
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