Evacuation from Libya

[sweetgilly]

AIBU to expect those individuals who accept high tax free salaried positions in hostile environments, to then meet the costs of evacuation should the need arise. Why should the British tax payer meet the costs?

fgs

you would rather these people perished I take it, hmm?

Ain't this been done like 3 times already today ?

BoysAreLikeDogs

Thats an odd reply. No I would rather they make provisions beforehand for this type of event. Insurance, perhaps?

they are uk citizens,convention is get them out safely.and without presenting an invoice at departure gate

it must be anxious time for their families and all concerned.

i dont begrudge any rescue efforts

I think there's something here--not that I expect them to pay but I do wonder why their companies didn't have better risk assessments and emergency procedures. Libya was always a risky posting, and there was warning that this region was in trouble.

The Foreign Office isn't Thomas Cook.

Our company has procedures for hese things. When in the ME, we had practice evac drills, we had to keep a certain Amount of cash to hand along with important papers and bring 1 suitcase. If they couldn't charter a flight out we would certainly hope that they could rely on our govt's to lend a hand and get us all out. Whose to say that the company dont have the same plans that ours had.

In the British passport it says afford the bearer such assistance and protection as necessary. If the ntaionls of the country they're in can't prvoide that, then yes, the UK govt should

There was a flight that was just this, a planned evacuation flight but because of 'insurance' (I'm not sure what that means as the news isn't really saying much about it) it can't fly in. You make all the plans you want but in the end it may not be enough.

However, if I was there, I would have left when things were arising in Egypt knowing that Libya is unstable.

I'm sure the majority of Brits in Libya have insurance, but what good is that right now? Having insurance won't ensure that flights appear from nowhere or get you from the middle of the desert to the airport when the need arises. All I can hope is that anyone (not just Brits) who needs help right now is getting it and that the situation calms soon.

From what I understand the evacuation flights aren't free either. They were £300 from Egypt, I imagine they are similar from Libya.

I'm not sure insurance covers acts of war, does it?

I don't begrudge people being helped if they're in serious danger and can't reasonably help themselves. When the balloon went up in Egypt there was one woman on the TV complaining that the people from the FO only went to one of the airport terminals, not the one she was in. So why not make your way to the other terminal?

Whole 'nother thing being out in the desert with marauding mercenaries close by, though.

DH had an email on Monday from the company advising them to cancel all trips to Libya and non-essential trips to other destinations in the area. So, I do think that most companies have their eye on the news and are advising their employees as best they can.

From what I saw in the news, the commercial flights were cancelled and the airports were in chaos. It is not unreasonable to expect the government to step in and help to get their citizens out.

Yawn.

Look for "Libya" on AIBU and read my comments on the last thread.

This has been done already today and yesterday.

Personally I find it ironic that people who aren't paying tax are being bailed out by the taxpayer.

Also Libya started kicking off weeks ago any sensible person would have got out then when it kicked off in Egypt not leave it until the last minute then get stroppy when rescue missions take a while to organise.

I wouldn't go so far as invoicing them at the gate but I think in future procedures need to be set in place so expats who enjoy a lucrative lifestyle contribute to the possibility that they may need help one day if working in a high risk environment ie you can't have your cake and eat it. You get the stonking great tax free salary because it's dangerous.

Whatever your politics, and its fairly clear that Gadaffi is something of a fruitcake with a unique sense of personal style (and why only a Colonel if you're going to give yourself a military title surely you'd make yourself a general or something?), Libya has been one of the most stable countries in Africa for many years and has become more and more open over the past ten years, with air routes opening up.

Perhaps then the need for hordes of expensive evac helicopters written into the plans of less stable regimes where the risks are perceived to be greater (like Algeria, for example)

NotSoPukeyMummy Thu 24-Feb-11 22:28:40
Yawn.

No need to be rude about it. Are you a bully away from MN? Just wondering like.

Not so sure,living in a country with a fruitcake dictator it's always got the possibility to be difficult to get out of when needs be as you're dealing with a fruitcake.

Having said that planning for evacuation in any regime is surely prudent,these people aren't short of a bob or two.

MilaMae

I agree. Greedy people working for the benefit of despots on huge tax free salaries. It should be the oil companies paying the costs.

FFS, some people are just incredible and selfish beyond belief. It's attitudes like OP's which make me want to weep.

Niceguy2 Thu 24-Feb-11 22:40:50
FFS, some people are just incredible and selfish beyond belief.

I couldn't agree more. Expecting British taxpayers to bail them out is selfish beyond belief.

Expecting British taxpayers to bail them out is selfish beyond belief.

I know...we spend billions of pounds each year "bailing" out those who lost their jobs or became ill. Surely they should have bought insurance?

I disagree it's a perfectly reasonable point and I've heard lots of people saying the same thing.

We're not talking about vulnerable refugees but people enjoying stonking great salaries with a lot of money at their disposal contributing nothing to the tax payer. These people expect bailing out when needs be even though financially they've not contributed anything towards the upkeep of the navy ship dispatched to rescue them.

Nobody is saying leave them there but that they should help fund their own rescue,these people have the means and put themselves in this position quite willingly due to the lure of a fat paycheck,not sure why it's unreasonable to expect a contributionafter they've been rescued .

Niceguy2

Don't be so silly. No, we should offer those people our full support. To make that comparison shows incredible immaturity.

MilaMae

Thankyou. Thats exactly the point I so unsuccessfully was trying to make.

Nobody is saying leave them there

Bollocks, thats exactly what you are saying.

What is the pilot/navy captain supposed to do? "I'm sorry Mr/Mrs Smith. Before you embark, could you just slide your credit card into this slot please? Thanks ever so much. Ooops, no credit card? Cash? No? Oh well....get out then and best of luck to you."

Again using your logic, rich people shouldn't use the NHS free either should they? I mean we're talking about people enjoying "stonking great salaries" here.