A cross-party group of over 60 MPs has called on the government to arrange charter flights to bring home British nationals stranded abroad amid the coronavirus pandemic. Many are running out of essential medication and face skyrocketing costs for commercial flights, with little consular support.
Hundreds of vulnerable Britons are stuck in Pakistan, including 60-year-old Tanweer Ahmed Khan from Manchester, who has a severe heart condition and arthritis. His daughter, Ikra Naser, said the family's medication will run out imminently. Another Briton, Adnan Aftab from Birmingham, is stranded with his mother, whose medication weakens her immune system. Sahiba Sajid, an NHS social worker from Leeds, said she is frustrated not to return to work.
In Nepal, hundreds of British tourists remain trapped, some in mountainous areas. Julie McElhinney and Dave Wong from London managed to reach Kathmandu but face uncertainty about food, accommodation, and flights. They criticised the British embassy for lack of transparency compared to European neighbours.
Afzal Khan, MP for Manchester Gorton, said many constituents contacted him with serious health concerns. 'We are calling on the government to do more to bring British citizens home to safety,' he said. The Foreign Office has been criticised for providing generic information and insufficient consular support.
