British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus

(asked on 15th June 2020) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what debt recovery agency his Department plans to refer debts relating to emergency repatriation loans to in the event that they have not been repaid within six months.


Answered by
Nigel Adams Portrait
Nigel Adams
This question was answered on 22nd June 2020

British nationals who are overseas and wish to return to the UK, but cannot afford travel costs and have no other options for getting funds to return home, may apply for an emergency loan from the Government as a last resort.

Those eligible must sign an Undertaking to Repay (UTR) in which they agree to repay the loan within 6 months. Loan recipients are unable to renew their passport until they repay the loan in full. If loan recipients do not repay the loan or set up a repayment plan with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) within 6 months, their passport may be cancelled, and their details passed to Indesser, a cross Government debt management service. The FCO will always work with British nationals to agree flexible repayment plans tailored to individual circumstances. We will not cancel the passports of those actively seeking to repay their loan. All loans are interest free.

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