Pat McFadden, MP for Wolverhampton South East has today (25 March) written to Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab expressing his concern that a number of his constituents are unable to return to Wolverhampton from India.
Wolverhampton has a large population with family roots in India, particularly Punjab. At any given time there will be a significant number of Wolverhampton South East residents there on holiday, for business or visiting relatives. Mr McFadden’s office has received a large number of calls and emails from constituents who have relatives trapped in India because there are no commercial flights back to the UK available.
Mr McFadden said “The problem for my constituents is that right now there are no commercial flights available back to the UK. Some of the people stranded there are elderly, or reliant on limited supplies of medication, or both. They do not have the infrastructure to stay there for weeks or months on end.”
“It is no good asking people to book alternative flights when there are no alternative commercial flights available. In the absence of commercial transport, the question my constituents are understandably asking is why the Government cannot charter planes to get people home?”
“I appreciate this is a big logistical exercise but many airlines have many grounded planes right now and there are people desperate to travel. Rescue flights have already been organised for some parts of the world. Why not for India too?”
Full text of the letter is as follows:
Dear Dominic,
In recent days my office has received a large number of calls and emails from constituents who have relatives trapped in India. As you will know, Wolverhampton has a large population with family roots in India, particularly Punjab. At any given time there will be a significant number of our local residents who are there on holiday, for business or visiting relatives.
The problem for my constituents is that right now there are no commercial flights available back to the UK. Some of the people stranded there are elderly, or reliant on limited supplies of medication, or both. They do not have the infrastructure to stay there for weeks or months on end. It is no good asking people to book alternative flights when there are no alternative commercial flights available.
In the absence of commercial transport, the question my constituents are understandably asking is why the Government cannot charter planes to get people home? I appreciate this is a big logistical exercise but many airlines have many grounded planes right now and there are people desperate to travel. Rescue flights have already been organised for some parts of the world. Why not for India too?
This situation is becoming more desperate by the day. My office has passed on details of all constituents in this position to the FCO through the website provided but more are contacting us all the time. I would be very grateful for speedy and focussed attention to this issue so that these UK citizens can come home.
Yours sincerely,
Rt Hon Pat McFadden, MP Wolverhampton, South East.
