Coronavirus: Hong Kong students stranded in Britain decry ‘messed up’ travel plans after officials drop flight ban relaxation
- Travel plans of students overseas hoping to finally get home to Hong Kong thrown into disarray over decision to mothball the lifting of Covid-19 flight bans
- Unvaccinated students in Britain would’ve been allowed to come home, but the measure is on ice, with city officials focusing instead on reopening border with mainland China
Some parents said their children felt abandoned by the Hong Kong government, with some stranded students complaining the abrupt policy U-turn, as revealed by government sources, had “messed up” their family reunion plans.
Representatives for foreign domestic helpers, meanwhile, urged the administration to exercise discretion and give special permission to allow the workers into the city, saying some were forced to live on their savings as they faced what they feared would be an endless wait to start their contracts.
Officials had been planning to ease the Covid-19 rules barring entry to Hong Kong from places deemed “extremely high risk” for city residents and people with work visas who were fully vaccinated.
Arrivals from eight such countries – including Indonesia, India, the Philippines and Britain – would have been allowed into the city under the relaxation, as well as unvaccinated students from Britain.