Rescuing standed Brits

The OP was not about NOT bringing them home. It was about the FACT that some people went abroad when it was clearly an unwise decision so to do and that such people should be funding the cost of their own unwise behaviour. And those that are complaining should just shut up and be grateful. It’s called bring a grown up. I wonder how many posters jumping to the defence of such people are similarly supportive of other groups in society who require government help because they made unwise choices?

Laibak makes a good point of young people who set off on gap years sometime ago, not just going on holiday in the past two or three weeks which would seem to me to have been very foolhardy.
Many young people were working in these countries on a temporary basis, there are medical students on their elective year, my DD used to be sent to various countries in Europe for a few months as a teacher.

I hope your son manages to get back safely, mumofmadboys.

My middle son chose to continue with his back packing plans last month to the Far East. Two weeks ago we phoned him and said you ought to come home now. Two days later we collected him from Heathrow. His flight was over £500. I’m not being smug with hindsight, he’s cross with himself for going in the first place as it’s cost him a lot of money. I get that a few are genuinely stranded through no fault of their own. The rest are just putting their selfish holiday plans ahead of common sense and expecting the government to sort it out. The writing has been on the wall for weeks.

Two weeks ago it was patently obvious what was about to befall us so don't give me that! Unless people were walking about with their heads up their backsides to selfish to care... Let someone else pick up the tab for getting them home.
The cost of the flight home should be billed to them retrospectively.

I don't think I could have been persuaded onto a cruise ship over the last two months for a King's ransom. People have, however, and I read today of a couple who have been virtually locked in a windowless cabin for nine days with no air conditioning. On a different kind of holiday, a woman has said that she and her partner are desperate and living on handouts - however unwise they may have been in going, they must be rescued from this kind of hell, albeit self inflicted. Perhaps if they agree to pay back the cost over a period of time?

I think people should have to repay the cost. That is what happens if you lose your documents overseas and a British Consul or Embassy helps you.
The question really is whether they are going to be tested on arrival. Otherwise there will just be another surge.

Two weeks ago it was patently obvious what was about to befall us so don't give me that!

Says everyone now
So explain why, if it was so obvious to everyone, were our cafes, restraunts, gyms, hairdressers as busy as usual? If it was so obvious to everyone except those that travelled?

My feeling is hat we should bring them home if at all possible. However I think they should pay for their own tickets, either upfront or later, but they shouldn’t expect the country to pay when our medics still haven’t got sufficient PPE. They should also go into enforced quarantine, like the people returning from China did.
suzie mentions an extremely selfish couple, who after being repatriated from their holiday, complained because they had to return economy class! Unbelievably selfish people.

I think a lot of people thought that they could escape the virus by going abroad. It bothers me that WE are having to pay for their return, and will they have to go into quarantine?- I doubt it because there are thousands of them.

I think it's complete madness to bring people home and trust them to isolate. Yes, arrange to bring them back - for quarantine!

My son is in Milan working and is obviously stuck, he has booked several flights home and they have all been cancelled the latest flight was due to be on the 4 April cancelled, he has another on the 11 April bus has already been warned it is likely to be cancelled he is not asking for a freebie he will pay obviously if a flight will fly.

My sil is one works abroad but comes every year for a month. During this month the country she works in shut its borders and she was stranded here and will probably be here until after Christmas. She said thank go I was here and that is the same for anyone working abroad or gap year students where they are stranded in a country with shut borders. We should get them home.

As for people going on cruises and holidays in March, we had a holiday booked for the 20th March but cancelled, lost a lot of money but at least we are safe. Some people are just being stupid.

These tend to be the "I don't want to live in a nanny state" people, until they need help, then it's "The government are doing nothing to help me".

We had a hotel booked in Skiathos for June, we hadn’t yet booked the flights as things were getting a bit tricky. Yesterday I cancelled the hotel, I had a free cancellation until early April. I’m already wondering about our planned trip to France in August, I haven’t booked a ferry yet but have booked an apartment, with free cancellation until mid August. Then the BA flights we booked to Canada in September, who knows whether that will happen.

I just hope that when they get back they are quarantined.

It all happened so quickly and, in some cases, stop off borders closed so long haul became a challenge.

Shortlegs what about the students on overseas years who were initially advised to stay where they were?
The gap year types who couldnt get onward flights etc

Only selfish people go on cruises anyway but they are not going to be the majority of stranded brits

I think some people had no choice thanks to the travel companies. Had they cancelled they would have lost the cost of the holiday. By going and coming home early they can claim back on insurance. The travel companies knew what was happening and should have cancelled outbound flights sooner but did not want to suffer the financial loss.

My thoughts exactly Shortlegs. Gap year students can be forgiven to a certain extent but people who took off on their holidays a few weeks ago I have no sympathy for. Do the not watch the news, could they not see it coming. Plus I am fed up of seeing them all getting their five minutes of fame on the news and berating the government all the time.

annodomini
Your SIL and his girlfriend stranded in Barbados? hope he has an understanding wife

To be fair, some of the people being brought home probably found themselves in countries that were no longer allowed to fly to European destinations.

Others may have tried unsuccessfully to book a ticket home.

Would you rather they were quarantined in whichever country they happen to be in? Presumably, a bill would be sent for their upkeep to us at some later date.

Annodomini
I stand corrected Need to get to Specsavers.

notanan2 "Only selfish people go on cruises anyway" - what do you base that comment on?

The cruise ship set off from Argentina on 7th March. The pandemic was declared on 11th March. Before the pandemic was declared it was known that there were already three epidemics - China, Iran and Italy, and there were coronavirus cases in other countries including our own. So frankly, for anybody to embark upon a cruise on that date was stupid, and an indication that they were putting money before health. So, they're self-isolating now in a cabin with a balcony looking at sunshine and having their meals delivered to their cabin door oh dear, what a pity for them. No, you are not being unreasonable - there should not be a multi-million pound exercise to repatriate these people. We are struggling to provide ventilators and frankly now we have had an official statement from the government that decisions as to who gets a ventilator will depend upon the prospects for a good life afterwards, the idea that we should be diverting resources both physical and financial to repatriate people abroad is ridiculous. My chance to live is being affected by the selfishness of those who feel they are entitled to come home after their travels. Nobody can use the excuse that they didn't know what was going on - the excuse is nothing more than selfishness, arrogance and stupidity. And when all these people do arrive back, what then - do we have to build another quarantine camp at more cost?
This may sound like a very negative view but living in London in the borough with the highest number of cases and therefore at the epicentre of the UK epidemic I have no time for those who chose their own pleasure over the safety of the nation.

My daughter arrived back from Australia this morning. She worked so hard last year for her big adventure this year. She was due back in August after seeing the world. As soon as things got serious she booked a flight out of Sydney for £700. I'm not sure why it was that easy but I'm glad she's home.