Over the past days, I have been contacted by several constituents currently stranded in Israel, unable to travel back to the UK in the wake of the barbaric Hamas attacks.
I have since had numerous conversations with senior colleagues in Government about running repatriation flights, and I remain dissatisfied that the UK has not yet introduced them. Other countries, admittedly with smaller amounts of people to repatriate, have already done so, and it is absolutely imperative that the UK follows suit.
Commercial flights are operating far below the ordinary frequency of travel from Israel, and individual airlines are now charging those desperate to escape the violence extortionate prices for tickets, with costs particularly prohibitive for larger families.
It is entirely wrong for these companies to seek to make profit out of a humanitarian crisis, and their actions are why it is especially vital that the UK Government intervenes to aid British nationals in returning to the UK, away from the fighting.
The safety of my constituents is of paramount importance, and I will continue to lobby for their swift return to the UK.
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