Two repatriation flights organized by the European Commission landed safely in Romania, bringing back 356 European citizens stranded in the Middle East from Oman. This was the first time the Commission used its own rescEU transport and logistics capabilities after a request from Romanian authorities, marking a significant step in enhancing the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).
The EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) deployed rescEU capacities. When EU Member States and UCPM Participating States cannot provide transport following a request, rescEU offers additional EU support when national resources are unavailable.
Besides these rescEU flights, the EU has facilitated 42 flights, repatriating over 4,100 European citizens to various countries, including Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, and Sweden, among others.
More flights are scheduled as 23 countries have requested EU assistance, such as France, Poland, and Finland. The Commission is actively coordinating with the European External Action Service and EU Delegations to support these efforts.
Background
Since September 2025, passenger planes have been a part of rescEU capacity, with this being the first activation for consular support. The EU coordinates the transport and operational costs of repatriation flights, with the Commission able to cover up to 100% of transport costs under rescEU, differing from other EU repatriation support which can cover up to 75%, given certain conditions.
Consular repatriations are a national responsibility, with Member States coordinating all consular aspects and allocating seats to citizens from other interested countries under the UCPM framework. EU Delegations have supported Member States to maximize the use of these repatriations for all EU citizens needing consular assistance.
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