Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs on organising repatriation flights for British nationals who wish to urgently return to the UK from Northern Cyprus.

Following the change to date for answer of this PQ, I submitted a response by email on 30 March, with the following response. The Table Office have agreed this approach.

Our teams around the world are working urgently to ensure that governments have sensible plans to enable the return of British and other travellers, and, crucially, to keep borders open for a sufficient period of time to enable returns to take place on commercial flights, wherever possible.

The administration in the north of Cyprus has introduced a total ban on entry for all foreign nationals, including the UK. This includes those holding residency, work, or student permits. Following policy changes announced by the Republic of Cyprus Government and the administration in the north, all crossing points between the Republic and the north are effectively closed to travellers. British travellers should contact their tour operator or transport provider now if they want to leave. We are working closely with the Government of Cyprus to explore options.