Hundreds of calls to Qatar hotline request travel advice

CAIRO – 12 June 2017: A hotline set up by the Ministry of Immigration and Expatriate Affairs following Egypt’s boycott of Qatar has received over 100 calls from Egyptians living in the Gulf state, Minister Nabila Makram Wassef stated on Sunday according to Al-Masry Al-Youm.

The majority of calls requested advice on how to return to Egypt after the suspension of all flights between the two countries and queries on the refund policy of EgyptAir. A number of callers also complained about EgyptAir’s request for Egyptian passengers to first travel to Kuwait, which does not share a border with Qatar, to take the airline’s flight to Cairo without offering any compensation or assistance to do so.

Wassef has previously stated that Qatari authorities have not taken any measures regarding the status of Egyptian citizens present in Qatar following the decision to cut diplomatic relations earlier this week.

The Ministry is currently operating two telephone lines for Egyptian citizens who may require assistance at 19787 and 00233036436.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., Libya, Jordan and Bahrain announced the severance of diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday on the grounds of the Gulf nation’s "continuous support for terrorism” across the Middle East region.