In remarks to journalists following the arrival of passengers repatriated to Portugal, the Secretary of State for Communities, Emídio Sousa, announced that a total of 69 people, including adults and children, traveled. Among them, 48 are Portuguese citizens, while the remaining 21 are of various nationalities, including Spanish, German, Israeli, Czech, Austrian, Bulgarian, Argentine, and Ukrainian.
“Initially, there were 122 individuals we removed from Israel; our Air Force then transported them from Egypt to Cyprus, from where some proceeded to their respective countries,” he added.
Emídio Sousa also mentioned that the repatriation process was “a complete success” and praised the exceptional performance of the diplomatic services, the Air Force, and the Government.
Currently, the Secretary of State indicated that no further repatriation flights are planned, though requests can still be made to Portugal in the near future.
“This first group consisted of those who expressed such an intention. No additional flight is planned,” he explained.
The aircraft carrying citizens requesting repatriation from Israel landed today at 19:45 at Figo Maduro airfield. The arrival of the Portuguese returning today from Israel to Portugal on a TAP plane had been scheduled for 18:30, but the flight was delayed.
The Portuguese government announced this week the temporary closure of its embassy in Tehran, Iran’s capital, alongside ongoing repatriation operations in the Middle East.
The conflict between Israel and Iran erupted on June 13 following Israeli bombings on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, resulting in the deaths of military leaders, scientists, and civilians.
More than 400 European Union citizens from countries such as Slovakia, Lithuania, Greece, and Poland were evacuated from Israel following the closure of Israeli airspace due to regional tensions, in flights supported by the European Commission.
