‘We want to go home’: Hongkongers trapped in Mideast call for more official help
‘We hope the Hong Kong government can care more about Hongkongers stranded in Dubai, not just provide an emergency contact number,’ one person says
Some Hongkongers stranded in the Middle East following a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran have called for greater help from the Chinese embassy and the Hong Kong government, as others consider travelling by road to another city to fly back home.
As of Tuesday, at least 585 residents were stranded in the region, immigration authorities said.
On social media, some residents wrote they had been unable to contact the Chinese consulate in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by phone and had to pass their information to Hong Kong’s Immigration Department. They said they were considering driving to the consulate to further register their details.
“We hope the Hong Kong government can care more about Hongkongers stranded in Dubai, not just provide an emergency contact number with no further help,” one Threads user said.
“We are very helpless, just waiting every day in the hotel for updates … we want to go home.”
The user added she was told that UAE authorities would cover food and accommodation expenses for stranded travellers and hoped the Hong Kong government could help clarify the situation.