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Australia offers flights for embassy staff to leave Sri Lanka
02 May, 2019
The families of Australians working at the High Commission in Colombo have been offered flights out of the country,?amid the threat of more terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka, Australia’s ABC News reported.
A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said “voluntary departures to return to Australia” were available for dependents of embassy staff and for volunteers in the country working under the Australian Volunteers International (AVI) program.
“We continue to encourage all Australians in or travelling to Sri Lanka to consider the travel advice, including volunteers and volunteer organisations,” a DFAT spokesperson told the ABC.
There are a large number of Australian children of DFAT staff based in Colombo, and most of the families live in apartments.
Many families have been forced to restrict their daily travel in light of the Australian Government’s travel advice for Sri Lanka, which urges Australians to “minimise movement until the situation stabilises”.
The official advice?warns that further terrorist attacks are likely in Sri Lanka.
“Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners. Security has been stepped up across the island,” the advice states.
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