DIRCO reminds stranded South Africans of its commitment to bring them home
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) continues to facilitate the repatriation of South Africans who are stranded in various cities across the world.
Being confined to your home during the lockdown might be daunting enough – but what about the many South Africans who do not have this luxury?
Some compatriots have since the lockdown started, been stranded in the countries where they work or study, or travelled to.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) released a statement reminding those South Africans of their commitment to bring them home.
We are about 100+ people in Dubai that need also to be repatriated please. We need a flight to come pick us up in Dubai and take us home to South Africa please! Please help us! Please @DIRCO_ZA Please Minister Naledi Pandor see us here in Dubai🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
— cristina lizzamore (@crisi1024) April 19, 2020
DIRCO said that despite many regulations introduced by various countries around the world, stranded South African citizens have returned home from Brazil, the US, Italy, Germany, the UK, Maldives, Nigeria, Namibia and several other countries.
The latest arrival was a group of 80 South Africans that were repatriated from Rome, Italy on 18 April.
In accordance with regulations, they have all been entered into various quarantine sites in Gauteng to ensure they are free of the virus and healthy enough to return to their homes.
Another two South African Airways flights departed on 18 April from Frankfurt, bringing home another 305 South African nationals from various European Countries. They arrived in Johannesburg on 19 April.
We at Thailand need to come home, we are honestly running out of resources and we starting to stress and go into depression….. It's not a good feeling please South Africa get us all home from thailand
— Vishan (@Vishan59998633) April 19, 2020
The department assured all stranded South Africans that it is doing everything in its power to bring them back home.
Unfortunately, their efforts are being constrained by several regulations to limit the movement of people around the globe as many countries have gone into lockdown to flatten the curve of Covid-19.
DIRCO wants to put stranded South Africans’ minds at rest by informing them that negotiations are ongoing with other countries and stakeholders to allow them to travel back home.
DIRCO said they deeply empathise with all who are still stranded abroad including in Peru, Indonesia, Thailand and other countries and that they would like to appeal to everyone to remain calm and patient as they explore options on how to bring them home.
To date, the department has assisted with the repatriation of 1 332 South Africans from 17 countries.
You can read their latest newsletter, including how many South Africans are still stranded, how many have been brought back home and arrival dates.
See the newsletter here.
Watch happy South Africans back home:
[CoronavirusUpdate]: Flight SA2261 left Frankfurt at 18:38 today, 18 April 2020 with 202 South African passengers onboard. Expected time of arrival in Johannesburg is 04:46. #COVID19 #Day23ofLockdown #Reparation @UbuntuRadioZA @SAEmbassyBerlin @GermanEmbassySA @TheDiplOmats_ pic.twitter.com/KjhYawOJoD
— DIRCO South Africa (@DIRCO_ZA) April 18, 2020
