Statement by Minister McEntee on assisted departure for vulnerable Irish citizens in UAE

I am highly aware of the large numbers of Irish citizens in the UAE as the current conflict continues. In this context, I asked our Consular Crisis team today to activate plans for an assisted departure.

Our team will now take the necessary steps to finalise a first government of Ireland charter flight for Irish citizens to depart the region from Oman Airport in the coming days, providing security and operational considerations permit.

This first charter flight will be targeted at Irish citizens currently in UAE, particularly those who are non-resident, and who are vulnerable and require assistance most urgently.

Those citizens requiring most assistance will be contacted directly by my Department in the coming days. I would ask for everyone’s patience as our most vulnerable citizens are contacted in this first phase of our response to this crisis.

We will continue to offer consular assistance to all citizens in the region. All citizens should register with the appropriate Embassy if they have not already done so and continue to follow our Embassy social media accounts for the latest updates.