Coronavirus: UAE helps repatriate 227 Pakistani citizens

More repatriation flights are scheduled this week

Pakistani citizens wait to board their flight to Islamabad from Dubai on Saturday evening. Courtesy: Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai

More than 200 Pakistani citizens were flown back to their home country from Dubai on Saturday.

The repatriation flight left from Dubai, carrying 227 people who wished to return home amid the coronavirus outbreak.

More than 40,000 Pakistanis in the UAE have registered with the consulate to be flown home. They will return to their country phases as the Pakistan government attempts to increase quarantine facilities at airports and hospitals.

The Pakistan International Airlines flight left Dubai at 7pm on Saturday en route to Islamabad. More flights will be arranged “in the coming days,” the Consulate General in Dubai said.

The passengers included five children, people who had travelled to the UAE on a visit visa, workers on unpaid leave or who had lost their jobs, emergency cases, patients, students and three bodies. Local authorities previously announced that all visas would be automatically renewed until the end of the year for free and without accruing fines.

Consul-general Ahmed Ali went to the airport to ensure operations for the first special flight ran smoothly.

The consulate said more flights would be arranged soon to different cities in Pakistan.

The lack of quarantine facilities in the country’s airports and hospitals has delayed the repatriation of the country’s citizens stranded abroad.

“Please understand that the flights have limited capacities and when you reach Pakistan there is limited quarantine and testing facilities,” said Mr Ali.

“Within this limited capacity, we will send everyone back in phases. We request you to be patient. Everyone’s turn will come.”