The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating operations to repatriate Greek citizens from the Middle East amid the ongoing regional conflict. Photo source: Greek Government Press Office
The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs has begun repatriating its citizens from the Middle East amid the ongoing conflict in the region, with the first evacuation operations bringing more than 160 Greeks and their family members safely home.
According to the ministry, the initial repatriation operations were completed on March 3 and 4, coordinated by the Foreign Ministry and Greece’s diplomatic missions following instructions from Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis.
Two additional repatriation flights to Athens are scheduled by Aegean Airlines in cooperation with the ministry. A flight from Dubai is planned for March 5, followed by another from Muscat, Oman, on March 6.
First repatriations across the region
Among the first evacuations, 93 Greek citizens and their family members were repatriated from Oman on a special Aegean Airlines flight arranged by the Greek embassies in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. Another 42 Greek citizens were evacuated from Bethlehem and transferred by road to Egypt, accompanied by the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, 27 members of Aris Thessaloniki’s youth team were transported by air from the United Arab Emirates to Istanbul and then traveled by road to Thessaloniki with the support of the Greek Consulate General in Istanbul.
According to the ministry, no repatriation requests have been submitted so far by Greek citizens in Iran, where around 100 Greeks are believed to be present. The highest number of requests has been recorded in the United Arab Emirates, where authorities are using automated systems to handle the large volume of applications.
Greece in full operational alert
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis has ordered the repatriation operations, according to the Foreign Ministry. Photo source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Foreign Ministry said repatriation efforts are ongoing and that it remains on full operational alert to assist Greek citizens affected by the conflict in the Middle East.
According to Greek media reports, ministry spokesperson Lana Zochiou said that the repatriation of Greek nationals from the region remains the government’s top priority, noting that requests for assistance have already reached several thousand.
However, organizing repatriation flights remains difficult as airspace across much of the region remains closed due to the security situation. Airspace is currently closed in Israel, Iran, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, while Jordan and Lebanon remain open.
“No repatriation flight can be scheduled in countries where airspace remains closed,” Zochiou said.
Repatriation categories
The repatriation effort focuses on three main categories of Greek citizens: permanent residents of the region, visitors, and transit passengers who were using Middle Eastern countries as intermediate stops on their journey back to Greece.
To facilitate the process, a special registration platform for repatriation requests has been activated in 10 of the 11 countries where Greece maintains diplomatic missions in the region.
For security reasons, the ministry has refrained from disclosing further details regarding the organization of repatriation flights. Greek citizens currently in the Middle East have been urged to follow the instructions of local authorities and monitor announcements issued by Greek embassies and consulates.
Emergency telephone numbers and contact details for Greek embassies and consulates in Iran and across the Middle East are available at the following link.
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