Covid-19: Christmas stuck in England after border closures
Many European citizens find themselves stranded in England when they planned to return for the holiday season.
© AFP / NIKLAS HALLEN
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
Thousands of people find themselves stranded in the UK following the discovery of a new strain of coronavirus.
Many European countries have closed their borders to planes, trains or ships arriving in the UK.
A real headache for those who wanted to join their loved ones to celebrate Christmas.
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For people wishing to return to France to join their families or friends, the blockage is at least 48 hours.
In addition, they are required to take a PCR test if they want to return, but getting tested in the UK is expensive and the prices of planes and trains have already skyrocketed.
Reluctantly, several of them have already given up on returning, like Freddie Smith.
She had to take a plane from London with a stopover in Amsterdam to return to see her family in the south of France for the holidays.
But the Netherlands has stopped accepting people
from the UK
since Sunday, December 20.
France has also banned flights from the UK.
She is frustrated in particular because it was the opportunity for her to reunite with her loved ones after a complicated 2020: “
It's been a year since I saw my sisters and my mother.
So I was super happy, I booked my flights.
And then I got a notification on my phone to tell me that my flight was canceled.
I looked at the flights from London to Nice and got another notification that said all the flights back to France were canceled for 48 hours.
"
Overpriced flights
While the ban is only for two days, the prohibitive prices made Freddie Smith resign: “
The flights are also super expensive.
Because everyone is trying to get in.
Prices are between 600 and
1000 [euros ed] to go from London to Nice.
While it's a two hour flight.
I have already spent 650 euros, I do not want to spend any more money for a flight on 23 or 24 [December editor's note] and have the trip canceled again.
"
For her part, Serena Palladino, an Italian working in the United Kingdom, hoped to be able to find her family for Christmas.
But his country of origin also closed the borders unilaterally with England: “
The borders were closed very suddenly.
I was able to postpone my flight, but I don't know when to reschedule it because I don't know how long it will last.
So I'm stuck here and I won't be able to go home for Christmas.
"
"
It's just sad
"
The young woman wants an exception to be made for Italians wanting to return home, but Italy has announced strict measures: “
I do not have the impression that it will happen like that.
In any case, this is not the information I have received so far.
I'm afraid the restrictions will only get tougher.
Italy is one of the countries with the strictest rules, much stricter than in the UK anyway.
"
Serena Palladino clings to the hope that she will be able to return in January when she too has not been able to see her loved ones for a year.
For Freddie Smith, the method to avoid gloom during the holidays will be to stay away from social networks: “
It's difficult.
I'm going to try not to stare too much at my phone on Christmas Day because I'm going to see everyone on Facebook or Insta with their family… It's just sad.
"
►Also listen: International guest - Brexit, pandemic, closed borders: "
There is generalized fed up in the United Kingdom
"
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