Mass media reports that the Border Guard Agency has given up on Ukrainian tourists in Egypt.

This assumption has been spread due to results of the briefing, referring to the words of Volodymyr Nikiforenko, the First Deputy Head of the State Border Guard Service.

We have to note that the speaker's question was as follows: “Regarding Egypt… When will the citizens return?”. There were no additional details.

That is why the answer was that citizens should plan their own return from vacation, including from Egypt. It was also announced that airline companies were notified about the termination of air travel.

Additionally, at the briefing, Volodymyr Nikiforenko noted that the agency is waiting for all our citizens returning home in any direction and is ready to pass them at any time of the day via operating border crossing points.

In view of the above, we will add that the First Deputy Head of the State Border Guard Service and the Agency as a whole don’t give up on citizens of Ukraine staying abroad. All airports will work taking in our citizens. However, we emphasize that the SBGSU does not regulate air traffic.

It was also meant that before termination of the regular air traffic according to the CMU's order from 00.00 on 17.03.2020 our citizens abroad have to decide for themselves how they can return to Ukraine earlier. In particular, these issues should be resolved with tour operators, who have the right to clearly explain whether they are able to get Ukrainians out of holiday beforehand.

In addition, the algorithm of actions was reiterated for Ukrainians abroad who are on vacation, on short-term business trips or for other purposes, which envisages returning home in the next 2 weeks. And first of all, how to find a way to get back to Ukraine by 0:00 on the night of March 16-17. If this is not possible, it’s necessary to register in the “DRUG” system of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where people can inform the Foreign Ministry and all foreign diplomatic agencies about their stay in a particular country. In the future, in case of urgent need, lists for returning citizens of Ukraine during the restriction period will be formed, in particular, using the data of this system.