By Gina Agapiou and Evie Andreou
President Nicos Anastasiades on Monday clarified that people abroad wishing to return home will foot the bill for their repatriation flights.
In a written statement on the gradual repatriation of those stranded abroad, Anastasiades said that the transport minister has undertaken the responsibility to carry out the repatriations through charter flights.
“The cost of repatriation would be borne by the citizens, except where the flight is provided free of charge by airlines or other agencies and in cases where the Republic has sent people abroad for medical reasons,” the statement said.
The state will cover the cost of the mandatory 14-day quarantine of those repatriated and of the Covid-19 tests they will have to undergo.
According to the foreign ministry spokesperson, Demetris Samuel, 7,500 Cypriot citizens asked to be repatriated through the electronic platform launched by the state last week. Around 6,100 of them are students.
Anastasiades also said that priority will be given to students and non-students who belong in vulnerable groups, students living in university halls, those registered on foundation courses prior to registering for the first year of their undergraduate course and those in their first year of undergraduate studies.
Other beneficiaries will follow according to when they expressed interest for repatriation on the foreign ministry’s platform. This concerns Cypriot citizens including students, those legally residing in the Republic of Cyprus and persons who have the right to enter the Republic based on the Vienna convention.
The president also said that an additional 1,000 hotel rooms are now available to accommodate people being repatriated during the 14-day mandatory quarantine.
The state will now be able to quarantine at least 2,000 people every 14 days. Under present capacity, it will take about two months before all those stranded abroad are repatriated.
There are currently around 700 people in quarantine.
An Aegean Airlines flight from London carrying 108 passengers arrived at Larnaca 5pm on Monday evening. At 4:45pm a Bulgarian Air flight from Sofia landed at Larnaca airport, repatriating 42 Cypriot citizens and residents.
On Tuesday, another flight is expected from London with 116 passengers, the foreign ministry spokesman told the Cyprus Mail.
The flights mostly include students belonging to vulnerable groups.
According to information, another flight is expected on Thursday morning from Manchester while more flights will be chartered next week.
