The Slovak government has started repatriations, it cannot return everyone

Slovakia has started a series of repatriation flights that are supposed to bring home citizens stranded in the Middle East due to the deteriorating security situation in the region in the coming days. According to the announcement of the government and the Ministry of the Interior, government specials are on standby and at least three flights are planned, two to Amman in Jordan and one to Muscat in Oman. The first plane left Bratislava on the morning of March 3rd and is scheduled to return at five in the afternoon.

The operation is coordinated by the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense. Diplomacy collects requests from citizens through embassies and registration forms, from which passenger lists are compiled.

Seniors, the sick, persons with disabilities, pregnant women and families with children have priority when boarding. If there are still free seats, Slovakia is ready to transport citizens of other European Union states or partner countries and vice versa to use the capacity of allied flights.

The Prime Minister and the Ministry of the Interior announced that the repatriation will take place gradually according to the development of the situation and the interest of the citizens. At the same time, the government calls on Slovaks in the Middle East to follow the instructions of the authorities, register in the MFA systems and respect travel warnings, including recommendations not to travel to the most risky areas.

This is not the first similar operation in Slovakia in recent years. In October 2023, the state sent a government special to Israel, from where it brought dozens of people after the outbreak of fighting between Israel and the Hamas movement.

A year later, the Slovak authorities provided air evacuation from Lebanon, including using the European rescue mechanism and in cooperation with other countries. The current flights from Jordan and Oman thus follow the already established practice, when Slovakia combines its own capacities with the help of partners within the European Union in crisis situations.