As Iran's retaliatory strikes continue across the region, British citizens who are currently stranded in the Middle East have informed the BBC that there has been a lack of information regarding available routes to return home. Teigan McFadden's Tuesday return flight from Dubai was canceled, and the 21-year-old says she is running out of heart medication. Another family told the BBC that their flight from Malaysia was diverted, leaving them stranded in Oman. Since Saturday, thousands of flights have been canceled, severely disrupting Middle Eastern air travel. On Tuesday, British MPs were informed by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper that the "safety and security" of British citizens was a "top priority."
READ MORE: US nationals urged to leave Middle East as conflict spreads
She told the Commons that a government charter flight will fly from Muscat in Oman in the coming days, prioritising vulnerable nationals.
She added that British citizens "must wait to be contacted by the Foreign Office regarding these options." The government is also collaborating with airlines to increase the number of seats available for British citizens to fly out of Muscat. Flights have been cancelled across the region since Saturday when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has launched attacks across the region in retaliation. McFadden, from Belfast, told the BBC she registered with the Foreign Office but was yet to receive any information.
She stated, "The only email I've received since I signed up for the government email is "thank you for signing up for this." "I feel like I'm in the grey area. My airline hasn't contacted me much, I had to contact them to find out my flight was cancelled."
Since the weekend, McFadden has been confined to her hotel in Dubai and has referred to the situation as "petrifying." She added that she was running out of medication for a heart condition known as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, with the stress making symptoms worse and causing her to lose consciousness.
When they were diverted to Muscat in Oman on Saturday,
Layla Wildon, 44, her husband Andrew, and their two children, Ophelia, 10, and Elysia, 8, were returning to the United Kingdom from Malaysia via Doha. Layla told the BBC they had heard nothing from the airlines and, while the family has been put in a hotel, they do not have access to their luggage.
"Some form of contact to give an indication of options would make a huge difference," she said, while acknowledging it is a difficult time for airport staff.
The couple is attempting to work from home and is concerned about finding a dog kennel in Canterbury, Kent. The family said they were also unable to get food or drink in Oman until sunset as it is Ramadan.
According to BBC Breakfast, the chief secretary to the prime minister, Darren Jones, individuals should register their presence with the Foreign Office to receive the most recent advice and updates from the government. "There will be consular support available to people including on the ground and we've sent officials there to help with extra capacity in the region," he added.
Layla Wilson, on the other hand, informed the BBC that they were unable to register their presence or sign up for government updates due to the fact that the service is not currently available to Oman residents.
Jamie Welch, from north London, is stranded in Doha after travelling back from a two-week holiday in Australia.
Due to technical issues with the aircraft, his initial connecting flight from Doha to
Heathrow had to be rescheduled, and his subsequent flight was grounded due to the crisis. "At the moment we are just told to stay in our hotels, we are provided with three very basic buffet meals each day and water," Welch told the BBC.
Before being transferred to a conference center and then a hotel, he had initially spent two days in the Doha airport. Welch, who has not had access to his luggage since Friday, said on Monday night that he had received "one generic email from the embassy" and no calls from the airline to explain what will happen next.
What is the government advice?
The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar have been advised against all but essential travel by the Foreign Office. Monday, Cooper disclosed to the BBC that approximately 300,000 British citizens reside in
Gulf nations. The foreign secretary reported on Tuesday that 130,000 British citizens had signed up for the
Register Your Presence program, which is offered in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar, and the UAE. While many Brits remain stranded, some flights to the UK have been operating out of Dubai.
Some Emirates flights have left for Manchester, London Gatwick, and Heathrow. Flights out of Qatar remain suspended due to the closure of airspace in the region.
On Monday, British Airways canceled its scheduled flights from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, and Dubai to London Heathrow. The airline told passengers that safety was its "top priority". Passengers with bookings on certain routes up to 15 March are being allowed to amend the date to fly on or before 29 March.
Source: BBC
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