Several EU Member States have activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) to assist the departure of citizens due to the airspace closures in the Middle East. Slovakia, Lithuania, Greece, Poland and Portugal have requested UCPM support to assist the departure of their nationals.
To facilitate these operations, several flights are being arranged from Jordan and Egypt. Seats are offered not only to citizens of the organising countries, but also to other EU citizens and, where space permits, to third-country nationals.
The first flight took place on 16 June 2025. The Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, emphasised that the activation of the Mechanism is a tangible example of EU solidarity, and of cooperation in response to an emergency.
Background
To date, it is estimated that over 650 EU citizens have been repatriated with UCPM support.
