Who pays for the evacuation of Luxembourg residents?
Red Dot, Unsplash
A large-scale operation to return Luxembourg citizens from the Middle East region, which is embroiled in military conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel, has entered its final stage. To date, 556 people have been evacuated to a safe zone. As it turns out, the logistical success is due not only to a national initiative, but also to coordinated efforts at the European Union level.
To minimise the burden on the budget, the Luxembourg government activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. This structure allows member states to pool resources in emergency situations.
Financial architecture of operations:
- The European Commission, through the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC), undertakes to reimburse Luxembourg for up to 75% of the costs.
- In order to receive European subsidies, Luxembourg was required to allocate at least 30% of seats on its special flights to citizens of other EU countries.
- Two flights were organised directly by Luxair, and three more by the government in partnership with the Belgian authorities.
Mobility Minister Yuriko Backes called these costs "a good investment," emphasising that the safety of compatriots and allies is an absolute priority. It is noteworthy that the evacuation was practically free of charge for the passengers themselves — the costs of extending their stay and flights were covered by the state and the airline.
At present, there are approximately 115 individuals registered in the LamA consular registration system remaining in the region. Some of them have consciously declined evacuation, while others plan to leave the conflict zone independently.
