CANBERRA, Jun 18 (NNN-AAP) – Nearly 2,000 Australian citizens have registered for assistance to leave the Middle East, according to updated government data.
Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, said today that, over 1,000 Australian citizens in Israel and another 870 in Iran, have registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), for government assistance to safely leave the region.
Chalmers told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio that, the government is working “very closely” with those citizens via DFAT and is closely monitoring developments in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“Obviously our major focus is on the human cost of this escalating conflict,” he said.
“And our focus, in an immediate sense, is working with those almost 2,000 Australians, who’ve indicated that they want to get out of that very perilous, very dangerous part of the world right now.”
As of Monday, 350 citizens in Iran and 300 in Israel had notified DFAT of their desire to leave.
Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy, said yesterday that, the government is preparing plans to either evacuate Australians, or get them onto commercial flights when air zones reopen.– NNN-AAP
