“240 Hungarians who have become stranded in North America because of the coronavirus pandemic are being brought home on Thursday”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in a statement to Hungarian news agency MTI.

“Many barriers are making people’s lives difficult throughout the world because of the coronavirus pandemic, including travel restrictions introduced by states, often also with relation to their own airspace”, Mr. Szijjártó reminded the press. “Opportunities for civil air travel have become increasingly restricted, and many of the world’s countries are not launching or receiving scheduled air passenger services”, he added. “As a result, thousands of Hungarians have become stranded abroad, of whom we have already successfully helped over seven hundred to return home”, the Minister said, calling the operation “the greatest repatriation operation in Hungary’s modern-day history”.

“Hundreds of Hungarians have become stranded in the United States and Canada. We have sent two special flights to pick them up, since there is no other way they could return home”, Mr. Szijjártó said. “On Thursday, 240 Hungarians and twenty-eight foreign citizens (seventeen Slovakians, ten Slovenians, and a Croatian) are being brought home from four American and one Canadian city: New York, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles and Toronto”, the Minister explained. “This is the only way they could have returned home in view of the fact that airlines have cancelled regular flights”, he added.

“There are still around two thousand Hungarians around the world who would like to return home, but who are unable to do so at present. We are also working on facilitating their safe return, but the opportunities available are becoming increasingly limited”, the Minister stated.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)