More charter flights to get Britons home from West Africa

UK: Up to 380 more British travellers stuck in Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Liberia will be able to return to the UK at the start of June on two flights chartered by the UK government.

This is in addition to over 6,000 British nationals who have already flown home from across sub-Saharan Africa.

Details of the new flights are as follows:

2 June: Guinea - Côte d’Ivoire – UK
3 June: Cape Verde – Liberia - UK
The additional charter flights have been arranged for British travellers, and their dependents, whose primary residence is the UK. Priority is given to the most vulnerable travellers, for example, people with health conditions.

Minister of State for Africa, James Duddridge, said:

These two flights from West Africa will mean up to 380 British travellers from Cape Verde, Cȏte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Liberia are able to return home. We have now chartered 29 flights from sub-Saharan Africa and will have helped over 6,000 British nationals get back to the UK.

This has been a logistical challenge and I am grateful for the continued co-operation and support from the local authorities in all these countries.

The UK government is working with the airline industry and host governments across the world to help bring back British travellers to the UK as part of the plan announced by the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on 30 March - with up to £75 million available for special charter flights to priority countries, focused on helping the most vulnerable travellers.

So far, charter flights have returned British travellers from countries across the world including India, Pakistan, Nigeria, The Gambia, South Africa, Nepal, Ghana, Tunisia, Algeria and Peru.