Stuck in the UK, where the new Covid-19 strain stops transit flights through Singapore and Hong Kong

A New Zealand couple trying to return home from London fear they will soon be homeless after their flight to New Zealand is canceled with Singapore and Hong Kong banning transit from the UK.

Liz Crouchow and her husband Rob’s predicament is exacerbated by the reservation of MIQ until March.

Other Kiwis were suspended after traveling to the UK to attend funerals or to see relatives dying, and are now surfing. The travel ban has separated families, like a woman who has not seen her partner from Kiwi for a year as she went through the visa procedures and travel series in an attempt to return to New Zealand.

MIQ said the new border restrictions will affect up to 20 people each day who have booked to travel from the UK to New Zealand.

Singapore was one of around 50 countries to have imposed travel restrictions from the United Kingdom, due to fears of a new strain of the Covid-19 virus emerging. The country is a major travel hub, used as a stopover for travelers between Europe and Oceania. But as of Christmas Eve, Singapore will no longer accept travelers from the UK.

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Hong Kong suspended travel from the UK on Tuesday, which means passengers who have booked with Cathay Pacific have been left in a difficult situation. On Tuesday, Singapore Airlines confirmed that it applies the same rule and that anyone other than a national who has been in the UK 14 days prior to travel will not be allowed to travel.

The airline said Things It has been working with governments to try to reopen transit to Australia and New Zealand.

An MIQ spokeswoman said that while no places are currently available as of March, the chaotic nature of international travel at the moment means spaces are becoming regularly available. She said people who apply for emergency isolation benefits will still need to meet a “very high” threshold.

In London, Craushu and her husband have booked to return to New Zealand via Singapore on December 30th. And the day before, they would have packed their room while the movers were leaving their house. The lease was due to expire that day and after a few days, the new tenants would move in.

But their flights have been canceled, and the couple has been scrambling for a place in isolation operating with the only flights carrying Kiwis home from the UK; They should go via Dubai, UAE or Tokyo, Japan.

“We will be homeless,” said Crosho.

“The rules are that they say you can change your flight but you have to change your flight to the same day your voucher is in quarantine. This is their rule, and we cannot find another flight that arrives on that day.”

Southern England is in Tier 4 lockdownWhich means that all non-essential stores must close from Saturday. Christmas plans were canceled, as families were told to stay home without anyone being allowed to travel or visit friends.

Chief Medical Officer of England, Chris Whitty, He said the new variant of Covid-19 appears to accelerate the spread of the virus. Concerns about this alternative have led to stricter controls in the UK as well as travel restrictions from other countries.

Due to these restrictions, Crouchow said their options were limited and she had no idea what they would do while they waited to reach New Zealand.

“Under the rules, you are not supposed to spend the night with anyone. I think some hotels might open their doors if you defend your case, and you literally have no place to live. We don’t know if that is possible, and I hope there will be accommodation.”

An MBIE spokeswoman said travelers who were unable to arrive on the day they were booked need to cancel their stay at MIQ.

“We want Kiwis to be able to go home, so if there are people who have vouchers that they won’t use, we ask them to cancel their reservation as soon as possible so that someone else can go home,” she said.

Crouchow said she stayed in the UK with her husband after losing his job in the aviation industry. Had she returned to New Zealand earlier, there was a possibility that they would not return to any job opportunities.

“It was a tough decision to try to travel during the pandemic, as you can imagine it wasn’t easy, and we are eager to return to New Zealand. We just hope that things will change over the next few days.”

Crashaw wasn’t alone. Things They have heard from many Kiwis in a similar situation, with flights canceled and no place in MIQ until March, saying they are looking forward to homelessness over Christmas and New Year.

Some sent letters asking for help, saying they would be without jobs and without a home and stuck in a closed city within days.

Others, like, said the recent travel restrictions were another blow. She was granted a visa in March, one week before New Zealand’s lockdown, to live with her New Zealand boyfriend. That got canceled, but she got a short-term visa for critical purposes this month. Booked to travel through Hong Kong, then rebooked to travel via Singapore, she is now stuck again in the UK separated from her partner for possibly months. It has already been a year.

I told Things: “It’s been a long time since I’ve been this low.”

She quit her job to travel to New Zealand and is now unemployed, but she said she has spoken to many Kiwis in a worse situation.

“I am not in the worst case, other people have sold their homes and properties, but it is still very difficult.”

In response to a question about whether the Foreign Ministry was working to reopen transit options for Kiwis in the United Kingdom, a spokeswoman said that she realized that it was “sad” time for these families but that the ministry could not provide guarantees.

“New Zealand cannot influence or guarantee entry, exit or transit requirements for another country or airline. We strongly encourage New Zealanders to look for the most recent information.”