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tagged: aid British expats, British expats, euro collapse, evacuation plan, fear riots outbreak, Greece, Plan B, UK, William HagueUK FM: Britons to Be Evacuated in case Greece “Goes Under”
Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Economy
It looks as if Greece is at risk to go under like Atlantis. British Foreign Secretary William Hague revealed at a television show, that British citizens may have to be evacuated from Greece and urged them to register at the UK consulates. “Officials are updating plans to evacuate British citizens on a daily basis in case Greece goes under”, Hague told Andrew Marr show on Sunday, according to Daily Mail.
“”Britons in Greece were warned yesterday they may have to be evacuated.
Foreign Secretary William Hague revealed Britons were being urged to register with the consulate as officials are updating plans to evacuate citizens ‘on a daily basis’ in case Greece goes under.
Mr Hague said the bailout was a matter for Greece and the eurozone, but the UK wanted ‘an end to the uncertainty’.
He added: ‘We have prepared contingency plans if we need to help British nationals who are there in any way. We keep those up to date on a daily basis.’
Fellow Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt called on Britons in Greece to ‘register with a consular system so we can find them in situations of emergency’.
He added: ‘No UK national who is there at the moment is unaware of what’s happening, so we’ve got systems in place… should the worst happen’. “” (Further reading Daily Mail)
The newspaper says that “there has been widespread civil unrest in the country as the prospect of it defaulting on its loans and exiting the euro has grown.”
So I have to ask British Expats living in Greece who read KTG-blog: Did you register? Are you scared to live here?
Already in November 2011, KTG reported about the British Government Plan to evacuate British Expats in case the euro collapses and riots will break out.
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We are all waiting to see if they will give us BA flight tickets, if so will swop with rich Greek Public Workers to pay our DEH bills.
Think Haigh reads the Daily Mail
Thank you Mr.Hague but why would I want to be rescued? This is my home and I feel safer here than I would if I was living in many parts of the UK.
Rescued from what ??? It’s more peaceful here than in UK and as you say TedW……………. a lot safer too.
Before I moved here my husband went to work early in the morning. Drug dealers had been watching our house and WHILE I WAS STILL IN BED opened the front door which was closed but on latch – as it was only 5.30am I never registered that someone was in my house. They went systematically through the first and messanine floors taking what they could including visa cards. They were caught thanks to Barclays Bank. The police said to me if I had gone downstairs and confronted them I would probably been left unable to testify. That was Britain when I left. And by the way I had a stalker for over a year as well. To go back to Britain – I think not.
well… crime is on the rise here too, unbelievable robberies with real victims.
You really shouldn’t pay much attention to what the Daily Mail says. This article (from Monday) was responded to with a huge wave of Brits living in Greece saying how inaccurate and alarmist the reporting of the situation is here.
The vast majority of Brits are not considering leaving, believe me.
KTG.
To be fare, Hague didn’t actually mention evacuation during the interview – as per usual the newspaper has puffed it up (lied) and tried to put a sensational spin on his statement as they do for most things.
I wonder why the Foreign Secretary office did not dismiss these claims. Two days have passed already..
Maybe putting the spotlight on Greece takes it off the mess that Britain itself is in at the moment.
Im not english, but also Danes had a document each, where we had to write info ect, in case we had to be evacuated. I called and asked if I would be allowed to take my dog and cat. Was told no. So told them to shovel it up where the sun dont shine. And no, im not afraid to live here. Im not the one they are gonna come runing after!! Those doing all the cheating ect, should be the ones scared!!!
wow, how interesting. when did the Danes were informed?
Last year actually. I got mine around January. And we actually talked about, if Denmark thought something was coming up..
Jan 2012?
no, 2011.. And I lived here for 6-7 years, they always know where, since I have a pension ect and they never send anything like that.
Having lived here for 22 years this is now my home. No I am not scared. I lived through the IRA bombings in London and no one offered to evacuate me then !!! There are not widespread riots and lootings here. Life here on Crete is much the same as always. There are grievances relating to costs etc and some people are striking and demonstrating but no British person I have spoken too is thinking about going back to UK. I feel much safer here than in the UK even with all these problems etc. I think the Daily Mail / government is hyping up the situation to prevent tourists booking their holidays to Greece and hoping they will chose Bognor Regis or some other UK resort. I think William Hague should travel all through Greece and find out what it is really like here at the moment……. but I bet he doesn’t !!!
Read my reply to TedW further up – Go back to Britain – Joking !!! I may not be well off here but I feel safe.
No, we haven’t registered with the British Consulate. They would be useless.
And I’m much less scared living in Greece than I was in the UK – many UK cities are very scary. But we don’t live in Athens, we live near Nafplion.
Can I say how brilliant this site is, and thank you? I keep on linking it to people in the UK so they can read the TRUTH about Greece.
thank you Carol
TH UK travel trade have slammed the Foreign Office for Hague’s “alarmist” comment: http://www.ttgdigital.com/news/foreign-office-slammed-over-greece-advice/4683125.article?utm
Interesting, thank you!
No of course I’m not going to abandon Greece and my friends.
What absolute misinformation, run by yourselves. Originally run by the biased Daily Mail paper. They appeared to change the panic causing headline, after more than 300 concerned people wrote in disputing the misinformation and scaremongering article. THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE – Ex-pats!!! There are more than that living inthe area around where I stay in Crete. Absolute nonsense – I do not know ONE person eho is heading off back to Britain in fear. I am safer here than I would ever be or have ever been in Britain. If you want accurate and informed content from ex-pats from all nations living in Crete then go on Facebook to the open group. Europeans standing by Greeks. For the truth about Greece and it’s Islands – it will open blinkered eyes. Once again – Europeans standing by Greeks. Thankyou.
I don’t think British people living in Greece need worry too much provided their capital is in a UK bank account and they keep an emergency reserve of cash in hard currency like US dollars or Swiss francs (UK pounds might get caught up in a temporary wobble).
The UK government is very sensitive to the prospect of tabloid headlines of stranded Britons abroad caught up in civil unrest and being accused of being unprepared – and has to cover its bases.
I would imagine in the most extreme situation the UK would use Cyprus and our sovereign bases there as a staging post and possibly the NATO anchorage at Suda in Crete.
I would guess the sight of Royal Navy ships entering Piraeus Port might be thought er… provocative? Would it?
Royal Navy ships in Piraeus? provocative? it depends. if the sailors will be here to rest and spend money, they’re welcome. there used to be US aircraft carriers her ein the 60′s lol
Not a Reply.
KTG.
Hague said that the Foreign Office had plans to assist any UK citizens (as any responsible government should)in any way. He was in my understanding referring to a possible ‘meltdown’ of the banking system etc. and access to funds.
The F.O. would not spend time to dismiss this article – they would end up doing little else with some of the ‘rags’ that are sold (and surprisingly bought) in the UK.
OK, thanks.
You’re safe, Michali. The RN can’t afford the fuel.
I just checked the British Embassy’s website again. There is nothing about plans for Brits in Greece to be evacuated.
KTG.
As you can see there is little concern regarding travel etc.from the UK FCO.
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/europe/greece
At last! Thank you KTG, you are the only one who has asked us ex-pats what we feel about the situation. William Hague made the faux pas of announcing contingency plans for the evacuation of ex-pats from Greece. The Daily Mail picked up on it and inflamed the situation with sensationalistic reporting. The result was thousands of angry Brits demanding an apology for mis-quoting the Home Secretary. Too late the damage is done,a lot of tourists will be avoiding Greece this summer….
It is obviously a typical example of Daily Mail hysterical and distorted reporting.
As for me, if Greece ‘went under’ I would move there permanently in solidarity (when we got the house it was always our long-term goal anyway and it hasn’t changed).
For all its problems, it’s a wonderful country in all kinds of ways.
Thank you so much for taking time and tell KTG how safe you feel living in Greece. Your support is also much appreciated
Hey KTG no way am I going to leave we all know who is to be afraid if the “S**T hits the fan”. I’m married here for 12 years to a Greek lady and have been in Greece for the past 20 years. I have more Greek friends than Brits. So to answer your question NO I will stay and also go and shout at Syntagma and the lazy, corrupt politicians and lackeys of the IMF = International Mankind F****RS.
Stay safe
‘Oh come on Mr Hague, Evacuating Britain’s out of Greece.. Really what planet are you on??? You want to take a look at your own country Mr Hague – we may “go under” if you and your politician friends carry on destroying Britain!!!!
Tony Blair, and his henchmen in the Labour party started the active destruction of Britain, it no longer resembles the Britain of 20 years ago, to be honest it’s like a foreign country. Cameron, Hague et al are just there to complete the destruction. Blair & Cameron’s love of everything EU has been our downfall, unfortunately we are NOT allowed a referendum of in/out, as promised by both Labour & Camerron, the majority want out. They’re all hated, the lib/lab/con artists are all exactly the same, ardent EU supporters, venal and self-interested The people of Britain are treated with complete contempt and cash cows, unlike the Greeks they are apathetic and dare I say it, almost bordering on the stupid by keep voting for the same old, same old, then complaining about it, So I say to those living in Greece, don’t come back, there’s nothing to come back to.——-Don’t look to any of the UK newspapers/TV news (especially BBC) for anything serious, most do celebrities & tat, the lefty papers only do propaganda.——-I go to credible blogs for news, very rarely buy papers now, got this from zero hedge concerning Greece, they don’t do bu**sh** and lies…………http://www.zerohedge.com/news/its-official-greece-unveils-negative-salary
we do not insult other KTG-readers, OK?
Excuse me KTG but I have NOT mentioned or insulted any reader in post. If you can find an insult please point it out. Unless you’ve mistakenly thought Tony Blair or David Cameron are readers, they’re not, one is an ex- prime minister the other the current prime minister of the UK.
to tell you the truth, I don’t remember anymore…
I think he meant evacuating Brits from Britain to Greece, so they could live without being scared.
Now that’s a thought……
LOL
I have sometimes been critical of some articles on these pages, and I have been, and remain, critical of the politicians who have dug the deep hole that Greece finds itself in now. Yet I chose to live here and have seen nothing to make me want to leave. It is so much safer than the U.K. It is still cheaper to live here, even if that difference is reducing. All foreign nationals should register with their consulate whenever they take up residency in a different country as a matter of routine. I think the British Government were “caught out” when violence broke out in the middle east and Libya, and they were accused of being too slow to react, but they seem to have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous. I, nor any of my ex-pat friends, have any intention of leaving this country. It is a much better place to live than the U.K. We stood with you in the past, we will stand with you now.
As a Greek-American, I can go or stay, but the US Embassy has not sent anything like this to us, so I assume it’s scaremongering by the Brits. But, in their defense, the British are very organized and this could just be Preparedness (Etimotita in Greek), and it makes sense. Because in Greece, most don’t prepare for emergencies, earthquakes, will preparation etc. It’s just not talked about except with Pa-pa-pa in my experience.
So, I wouldn’t worry about it. Plus, if something really happens, there would be some bit of warning I presume. I don’t think we can go from function to dysfunction in a day (even in Greece).
This makes me laugh, another case of a totally out of touch politician. What they gonna do, send in the SAS?
Who in their right mind would want to go back to Britanistan…really!
Greece is the perfect place, ok, times are hard but we chose to live here, we work here, we pay our taxes here. We’ve had the good times, and they’ll return. It wouldn’t be fair to jump ship. I for one am staying to ride this out. The alternative….England! I’ve got more chance of moving to the moon. As for Greece being ‘unsafe’, Mr Hague, open your eyes, come to Greece, real Greece! What a stupid little man!
Greece is wonderful, the people are wonderful and no politician, government or idiot with a hood will ever change that!
Tell me, is Britain any better?
Plus…Britain is full!
What a load of bullshit…I promised myself I would never take any notice of the media again….after all the negativity that surrounded the Olympics in Athens…but I really cannot keep my mouth shut…..Tourist was up 30 per cent last year and is due to rise another 25 per cent this year….anyone that has been to Greece will realize that there is absolutely no reason to be afraid, that life goes on as it has always gone on, and not idiot scaremonger is ever going to change that. I have lived here 30 years….have brought up two children, and live a better life that I ever would have in the uk. Please Mr. Hague take your opinions and stuff them where the sun does not shine….and stop trying to stop people coming to Greece where the sunshines every day for six months..and more….
I want to leave UK and go to Greece. Do you think I will be given assistance ?