Lebanon to repatriate more nationals stranded abroad

Above, a sanitation staff sprays the interior of Rafiq Hariri international airport with disinfectant to limit the spread of coronavirus on March 18, 2020. More Lebanese nationals are expected to be repatriated by the government. (AFP)
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DUBAI: A bigger number of Lebanese nationals are expected to return home in the latest round of the government’s repatriation efforts amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“A bigger number of medical teams has been trained to welcome expatriates and to monitor their health during the second phase, which will include a bigger number of repatriations than the first phase — approximately 5,000 people” state news agency NNA reported.

A Lebanese cabinet committee tasked with bringing home stranded citizens earlier suspended repatriation efforts “to maintain the capacity of hospitals and hotels designated for isolation and to re-evaluate the measures taken.”

Thousands of Lebanese nationals have signed up to be repatriated and have been put on waiting lists drawn up by the country’s foreign affairs ministry.