Only Vietnamese citizens who are left stranded overseas due to COVID-19 but have urgent needs for returning to the homeland will be considered for repatriation from now till the Lunar New Year holiday (Tet). 

Close to 300 flights have been conducted to bring home more than 80,000 Vietnamese
citizens stranded overseas due to COVID-19. (Photo: VNA)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is collaborating with relevant ministries and localities to work on plans to repatriate these citizens, in accordance with epidemic prevention regulations and the domestic quarantine capacity, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said at a press briefing on January 14.

According to the spokesperson, domestic and foreign airlines have so far conducted 299 safe flights to bring home more than 80,000 Vietnamese citizens from 60 countries and territories.

The repatriation must be in line with the COVID-19 pandemic occurring in the world, in Vietnam, as well as in line with the country's quarantine capacity, said Hang.

Due to the emergence of the virus variants in a number of countries around the world, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on January 5 decided to restrict such repatriation flights from now until the Lunar New Year.

Flights are only allowed to take off with the Prime Minister’s permission following the proposal from the Ministries of Health, Foreign Affairs, National Defence, Public Security and Transport.

Vietnamese people residing overseas often return to the homeland to reunite with their family during the Tet holiday. Vietnamese representative agencies say many Vietnamese nationals have registered to return home from now till the Lunar New Year.

Only those with urgent needs will be considered, stressed the spokesperson.