– Being able to organize a home transport is not necessarily easy for everyone and that is the reason why we have set up that plane.
This is what Siri Svendsen in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) says to NRK on Friday evening.
She confirms that those who take the flight to Norway on Saturday must cover the expenses themselves, but that this is normal practice.
So far, 49 Norwegian citizens have gotten out of Gaza on Friday.
– We are happy that yet another large group of Norwegian citizens has now come out of Gaza. A large part of these are children who have lived with great uncertainty and under very difficult conditions for a long time.
Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide says so in a press release.
– To ensure that everyone gets home safely and quickly, we now set up a flight to Norway. We are happy that Norwegian is making aircraft available, says Eide.
On Friday, there was heavy traffic at Rafah, which is the border between Gaza and Egypt.
Photo: AFP
Get a bill in the mail
Around half of the Norwegian citizens who have come to Egypt from Gaza are children.
– Those who travel have different health needs. In addition to representatives of the foreign service, there will therefore be Norwegian health personnel on the plane, says Eide.
Those who travel by plane will have their expenses paid in advance, but must expect to receive an invoice in the post after they have returned home.
– As always with assisted departure, each individual has to pay for tickets and accommodation, and the same is the case here. The same was the case for the Norwegians who traveled from Israel earlier during this crisis.
This is what Siri Svendsen in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told NRK on Friday evening.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote to NRK that it is a fundamental principle that the individual is responsible for covering the expenses themselves.
The price the Ministry of Foreign Affairs operates with, and which they send an invoice for, is NOK 6,500 for adults, NOK 1,500 for children between 2 and 18 years of age and free for children under 2 years of age.
– This includes flights, visas, border crossings, buses, hotels, all food and emergency passes, writes UD.
Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide is satisfied that several tens of Norwegian citizens have crossed the border into Egypt on Friday.
Photo: NTB
On the way to Cairo
49 Norwegian citizens have got out of Gaza today, the Foreign Ministry reports.
The Norwegian citizens were met at the border by a team from Norwegian authorities consisting of medical personnel, employees from the embassy in Cairo and ID and document experts who helped with the necessary documents.
– The Norwegian citizens are now on their way in buses to a reception center in Cairo. Here they will receive practical help, such as health care, document assistance, food and drink and assistance with onward travel from Egypt to Norway.
A total of 69 Norwegian citizens have been given permission to leave Gaza today, but not all have reached the Rafah border post.
– It is dangerous to stay and move in Gaza. Everyone has to make assessments of their own safety and ability to move around, says Siri Svendsen.
This picture is from when the first bus with Norwegian citizens arrived from Gaza to Cairo this week.
Photo: Vegard Tjørhom / NRK
2023-11-17 17:46:48
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