The Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot (Francophone centrist) and the Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken (Flemish nationalist) are working on a plan to evacuate Belgian that are stuck in the Middle East as a result of the conflict in Iran. Mr Prévot announced that the Federal Government intends to repatriate Belgians in the Federal Parliament on Tuesday afternoon.
However, Mr Prévot warned It could be a few days yet before an evacuation using military planes can begin. The airspace above the countries concerned will first have to reopen and in addition to this there are also “enormous logistical challenges”.
“Transport to the airports concerned must be safe, and the airspace must be secure. I understand the frustration and impatience of our fellow citizens, but the situation is extremely complex. We are doing everything we can”.
Focus on tourists
There are currently almost 26,000 Belgians in the affected region, of whom 2,500 are tourists. They are mainly in Dubai and Qatar. In the first instance the focus will be on getting the tourists home. Mr Prévot warns that Belgium simply doesn’t have the capacity to evacuate thousands of people on military aircraft within the space of just a few days.
The Belgian Foreign Minister calls on those that can to take commercial flights or other means of transport to return and to follow the instructions given by the authorities in the countries where they are staying.
Belgium will be cooperating with Luxembourg and “other partners” on the evacuation plan.