Stranded In A Crisis Zone Who Is Responsible For Repatriation?

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) The military confrontation between Iran and a US–Israel-led alliance has entered its third week and impacted ten countries. Over 1,200 registered Swiss citizens remain in the Middle East region, yet no further repatriation flights are planned. Bern stresses personal responsibility, but criticism is mounting. Is it justified? This content was published on March 18, 2026 - 09:00 8 minutes

In my work, I focus on topics that are relevant to Swiss citizens abroad – from political developments in Switzerland and their impact on the diaspora to social, economic, and cultural issues. Before joining SWI swissinfo, I worked as a local journalist for the Aargauer Zeitung. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Multilingual Communication and, as is typically Swiss, completed an apprenticeship as a commercial employee.

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The Gulf region – along with Israel – has borne the brunt of Iranian missile and drone attacks as the conflict widens. Airspace has been repeatedly closed around major hubs, including Doha in Qatar and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Last Wednesday, Bahrain's airport was rocked by explosions. Iran's targeting of Gulf states reflects a strategic effort to impose economic costs on the United States and its regional allies.

Swiss citizens in the Middle East have been able to leave, but often only with difficulty, luck and at considerable cost. After Switzerland organised one special flight and Edelweiss Air, a Swiss leisure airline, operated two from Oman, no further repatriation flights are currently planned.

The number of stranded Swiss in the Middle East, including Israel, has dropped from an initial 5,200 to around 1,230. These figures are based on the government's Travel Admin app and only cover people who registered their stay in the region. According to the Swiss foreign ministry, those who have already left but have not manually ended their trip in the app, are still included in the count.

The Gulf has long been an attractive destination for Swiss citizens, drawn by business opportunities in finance, construction and energy, as well as high salaries and tax advantages. The region is also a major tourism destination, known for its luxury resorts, winter sun and role as a global aviation hub, with cities such as Doha and Dubai serving as key transit points.

In view of the war in the Middle East and the increasing security risk, the foreign ministry has decided to temporarily close the Swiss embassy in Tehran. The ambassador and five Swiss staff members left Iran by land today. They will return to Tehran as soon as the situation allows. As part of its good offices, Switzerland will continue to maintain an open line of communication between the United States and Iran, in consultation with the two countries.

Return journeys from parts of Asia have also become more complicated as airlines can no longer use the usual stopovers in the Gulf. Dubai and Doha are among the main transit hubs between Europe and Asia. Swiss travellers stranded in Asia talk about soaring flight prices with one-way tickets to Europe costing more than CHF5,000 ($6,350), according to the German-language daily newspaper BlickExternal link. The foreign ministry does not provide figures on how many Swiss travellers worldwide are affected by the conflict in the Middle East.

On top of that, Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has extended its flight suspension to Dubai from March 15 to March 28 due to capacity problems at the city's airports. Other airlines of the Lufthansa Group are also affected.

Bern's stance earns criticism

Since the beginning of the crisis, critics have accused the Swiss government of not providing as much support as other countries. Authorities' communication is seen as insufficient, and many affected Swiss feel abandoned by their government.

Stranded travellers are voicing their frustrations in media reports and on social media.“It's the government's responsibility to repatriate its citizens. This is why we pay taxes,“ one Swiss woman told journalists. Others criticise that Swiss missions only referred them to the airlines while other embassies communicated evacuation plans.

Some also complained about difficulties reaching Swiss diplomatic missions.

At the same time, the foreign ministry's figures show that its helpline has been extremely busy since the start of the crisis. Since February 28, approximately 1,700 inquiries both from travellers as well as Swiss citizens living in the region have been personally dealt with.

The foreign ministry expressed understanding for the difficult situation Swiss citizens in the region are facing. However, it sticks to its stance and reiterates the principle of personal responsibility.“Anyone staying abroad is responsible for themselves,“ Marianne Jenni, head of the foreign ministry's consular directorate told Swiss public broadcaster RTS.

>>Marianne Jenni defends the Swiss authorities' firm stance over repatriation flights.

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This content was published on Mar 5, 2026 With nearly 5,000 Swiss citizens stranded in the Middle East, the foreign ministry maintains that assistance will be provided only as a last resort.

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