The Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs has said it is “very difficult” to instruct citizens currently in Gulf states to follow advice “on the ground” when they “want to do more”, reports The Mirror.
Helen McEntee noted that hundreds more people have registered with Irish authorities since the escalation of conflict in the Middle East over the weekend, reports The Mirror.
Speaking outside Government Buildings in Dublin on Monday morning, she estimated that up to 22,000 Irish citizens may be living across the wider region.
She repeated advice for them to “stay sheltered”, check directly with airlines if they plan to travel, and ensure they are registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs, reports The Mirror.
She said: “The most important thing is for people on the ground to follow the advice that has been given in the region. That advice is coming directly from UAE authorities, from the authorities within the various different regions.
“I appreciate that that’s a very difficult statement to make when people feel like they want to do more, they want to be able to do more.
“But at the moment, because of the uncertainty, because of the challenges, it is important that the advice that is there to stay indoors, to stay sheltered, that people follow that advice,” reports The Mirror.
Ms McEntee explained that the register being compiled by her department is intended to get a “complete picture” of Irish people in the region, rather than as a tool to distribute information.
“What we’re asking is for people to keep an eye on and to engage with their social media platforms, with the Department of Foreign Affairs website, because that is where we are updating the information. By registering, it does not mean that we’re sending information to you,” reports The Mirror.
She said Government officials are “engaging with” EU and UK counterparts on evacuation plans.
She added: “I really appreciate just how difficult and distressing it is for so many people, not just for the residents, but you have hundreds of people who are transiting through their holidays are now stuck within the region, reports The Mirror.
“Airspace has been closed for the most part, and that has meant that no citizens from any country, including Ireland, have been able to leave the area.
“We know that today there are a small number of flights that have taken off from Abu Dhabi, but we do not know whether or not that will continue in the days ahead, but we’re in close communication with the airlines and with the airports.
“Should this happen, the other airports have made it clear to us that they will not be opening today, potentially tomorrow, but again, we will keep people updated,” reports The Mirror.
The issue was also discussed at an extraordinary meeting of EU foreign ministers yesterday.
“We all agreed that there needs to be close coordination so that if any member states find themselves in a position of being able to remove their citizens from the country, from the region, that we are all working together in that regard,” reports The Mirror.
She said a contingency plan to evacuate citizens had been prepared over the weekend and, recalling that Ireland has chartered evacuation flights in the past, said that would be a preferred option.
“We will have everything in place, should that possibility arise,” she added.
Ms McEntee also acknowledged that many people “want to get home, want to get out of the region”.
She said she was aware of attempts to leave via overland routes and is evaluating that as a potential evacuation path.
“I appreciate that there are some people that are looking to travel on land to other countries, for example, like Oman, and we are assessing at the moment how safe that is. It is very difficult to encourage people to travel, but maybe an eight or nine-hour journey where things are evolving so quickly. But of course, we are keeping all of this under consideration,” reports The Mirror.
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