What action has the First Minister taken to ensure Welsh nationals are returned from overseas as soon as possible?
For the purposes to which the Member refers, there is no such thing as a ‘Welsh national’: all citizens of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have exactly the same nationality status, which does not differ according to which part of the UK they live in or were born in.
The repatriation of all British nationals, including Welsh nationals, is the remit of the Consular Directorate in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office which ensures that repatriation efforts are undertaken in a coordinated manner to deliver speedy, positive results for the individuals affected.
Since the FCO issued its advice for British nationals to return home immediately, the International Relations and Trade Department has been in daily contact with FCO officials to raise awareness of the plight of individuals who are currently overseas and having difficulties with returning to the UK. This sharing of information resulted in this week’s successful repatriation of Welsh nationals who were stranded in Cusco, Peru, and unable to access last week’s FCO charter flight from Lima as they could not travel to board the original flight. Officials are having similar discussions with the FCO about Welsh nationals in India, Bali, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand as well as those who are on board cruise ships.
On 31 March, the Minister for International Relations and Welsh Language took part in a call with her counterparts in the Devolved Administrations and Nigel Adams MP, the Minister of State responsible for consular matters in the FCO, to understand the efforts that the UK Government is making to repatriate UK nationals and to set out ways in which the Welsh Government can assist with repatriation. This includes providing Welsh nationals with advice on how to register their presence with the relevant UK authority in country.
The announcement by the Foreign Secretary of a new £75m fund to assist in repatriation efforts is welcomed and Welsh Government officials will continue to support Welsh nationals in their efforts to contact the FCO to access information about the additional repatriation services that will be made available shortly.
Welsh Government overseas teams are also in contact with their in-market counterparts to share information about Welsh nationals in their respective countries where repatriation difficulties are being experienced. Some staff from our modest number of overseas offices are also working with the FCO as an integral part of the central consular crisis support team handling enquiries on a daily basis from British nationals seeking to return home.