Home!!! First Group of Repatriated South Africans Arrives Home from Dubai and Doha

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation says it is pleased to announce that 16 South Africans who were stranded in Dubai and Doha, respectively, have been successfully repatriated back to South Africa.

They arrived yesterday, 02 April 2020, following the announcement by the President
of the relaxation of the restrictions to allow South Africans stranded abroad to travel
back home.

The group is currently under quarantine as per the regulations.

Another group of about 16 citizens stranded in Germany is expected to return from
Frankfurt over the weekend.

“With more countries requesting to repatriate their citizens from South Africa, the
Department will be using the opportunity to bring back more South Africans using the
chartered flights,” said Dirco.

“To date, our Missions and the Command Centre in Pretoria have registered a total of
2,313 South Africans stranded abroad due to the outbreak of the COVID 19 virus,
which led to many countries closing their borders.

“Of these, 726 are students, 600 people are workers, 492 are tourists, and 495 haven’t disclosed.”

In line with Minister Pandor’s instructions, the Department is prioritizing those who
are stuck at the airports, the students who have been asked to vacate their
residences, the elderly and the sick.

The Department said it “wishes to assure all the South African Citizens stranded abroad that it empathises with their plight and is doing whatever it can to assist them to be safe,
as comfortable as possible and to travel back to South Africa.”

This Sunday, Carte Blanche investigates how hundreds of desperate South Africans stuck abroad on almost every continent are dealing with this crisis.

Watch the show overseas | Watch in SA on DStv Now

PS: Dirco has requested that all South Africans stranded abroad who wish to get home contact their local mission, or DIRCO’s 24-hour command centre on: + 27 12 351 1754 or 012 351 1756 or E-mail them at cicc1@dirco.gov.za (send your full name, copy of passport, location and contact details)