London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

UK tourists in India complain of being 'abandoned' by government

Britons in India say they have been left "abandoned" with "no help whatsoever" from the UK government.

The entire country, which has a population of 1.3 billion, was put under lockdown on 23 March with less than four hours notice, in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

A petition to repatriate UK citizens has gained more than 25,000 signatures.

The Foreign Office said it was working "around the clock" to support British travellers and help them return home.

It said it recognised many British nationals had been finding it difficult to return to the UK due to "unprecedented international travel and domestic restrictions".

Announcing the lockdown, India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, said there would be a total ban on people leaving their homes for 21 days.

He appealed for people not to panic - but crowds quickly mobbed stores in major cities and correspondents say it is not clear how people will be able to access food and other essentials.

India has around 900 confirmed cases of coronavirus, but experts warn the real number of infections could be far higher as the country has one of the lowest testing rates in the world.

Beverley Kershaw 55, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, had been expecting to fly home on Saturday but is now stuck in Candolim, Goa.

She says her flight was cancelled with "no warning" and she now fears she will not be back in the UK on time to get the medication needed for her autoimmune disease.

She is also worried about her elderly parents in the UK.

Bethan Hall, 30 and from Brighton, is in South Goa with 22 other British citizens and says all shops in the region are closed.

"We all feel totally abandoned by the UK government," she says.

"The Germans that we are staying with are all being picked up this week and none of us can even get through to our embassy - not even the people who are here who are high risk. They seem to think it is acceptable to wait for commercial flights to resume while their people slowly starve."


'Dangerous'

The UK government said it was seeking to keep key transit routes open as long as possible and that it was in touch with international partners and the airline industry to make this happen.

It said consular staff were supporting those with urgent need while providing travel advice and support to those still abroad.

Ms Hall says she has been told of available routes via the Middle East departing after 15 April - but worries these flights could also be cancelled. If they are not, she fears they will be extremely expensive.

"It's vital that the government begins to repatriate people before the situation here worsens," she says. "It's already dangerous for many people."

Under the "total lockdown" measures, all non-essential businesses have been closed and almost all public gatherings are banned.

As a result, millions have been left jobless and without money, which sparked an exodus from major cities such as Delhi, where thousands of migrant workers are setting out on long journeys back to their home villages after transport was stopped.

Saba Naqvi, a local journalist reporting on the lockdown says although she empathises with stranded tourists, she fears more for Indian nationals, who are now leaving the major cities in droves.

She said: "It's a bad situation right now. It's a far poorer country than Western countries, so this will be especially bad for the poor.

"People are migrating by the thousands out of the big cities into the villages, by foot. Many do not know how they will be able to eat."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×