The Government is securing a flight to bring New Zealanders home from the Philippines this weekend, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says.
"New Zealanders in the Philippines are experiencing challenging circumstances under quarantine restrictions, and difficulty in getting home with no domestic transit options.
"We are working with Philippine Airlines and international partners on flight arrangements to bring New Zealanders and their family members home," says Winston.
"We are grateful to the Philippines Government and Philippine Airlines for the positive engagement we have had with them so far, and look forward to continued cooperation over the coming days," he says.
"MFAT continues to search for solutions for New Zealanders stranded offshore in an extremely complex global environment. However, Government-assisted flights will only be explored in exceptional circumstances when all other options have been exhausted.
"We strongly advise that New Zealanders overseas should be seeking to shelter safely where they are or return home by commercial means where possible," says Winston.
The flight will depart Manila on Sunday, April 19. Transportation options are also being considered for New Zealanders in other parts of the Philippines to be able to meet this flight.
