Nearly 20,000 French nationals have been repatriated from the Middle East since the war erupted on February 28, government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon said Wednesday. The evacuation efforts are ongoing as some 400,000 French citizens lived in or were visiting countries in the Gulf and Middle East when the war between Iran, the United States, and Israel broke out.
The government facilitated the return of 2,000 citizens via state-chartered flights, while an additional 17,000 returned on commercial routes between the Middle East and France that resumed at the government's request, Bregeon told reporters after a cabinet meeting.
"This means that just under 20,000 people have returned to French soil at the time of speaking," she added.
France's foreign minister said Tuesday an additional nine chartered flights would be scheduled by the end the week.
Another 30,000 seats on commercial flights departing from the Middle East this week will be available for French nationals seeking to return to France, Joel-Noel Barrot told broadcaster France 2.
