17:46

The Foreign Office’s efforts to repatriate British nationals stranded in India continue to draw criticism even after it announced seven charter flights for next week.

The flights leave from Mumbai, Goa and Delhi but the cost of £600 for a one way journey and the lack of information on flights from other airports, particularly in Punjab, have frustrated those stranded.

UK in India🇬🇧🇮🇳 (@UKinIndia) .@JanThompsonFCO announces details of first charter flights from India. More information on the flights, including cost and baggage allowances, can be found on the booking portal:



Delhi: https://t.co/UTPUvfBYGG



Goa: https://t.co/vIg5KeAiwE



Mumbai: https://t.co/U91YOK0PY2 pic.twitter.com/Nb1Bcr66HI

The high commissioner Jan Thompson said these were the “first round of charter flights” and would go from Goa to Stansted on 8, 10 and 12 April; from Mumbai to Heathrow on 9 and 11 of April and Delhi to Heathrow on 9 and 11 April.

There has been criticism over the high prices, an issue that appears to have heightened existing exasperation over the UK’s failure to send charter flights earlier like other countries including Germany which has repatriated 42,000 of its citizens around the world.

♠Natasha♦ (@_LadyT_87) Germany,Canada,Israel, France,Ireland, Italy, Finland had flights DAYS ago.. While Brits are in dire situations & Punjab excluded. Are you waiting for people to die/ book commercial flights? What's the £75m for when you're charging extortionate prices? @DominicRaab @BBCNews

Another said it was “absolutely appalling that those stranded in Punjab were not told sooner they would not be included in the first phase of repatriations”.

Thompson said in response that the Foreign Office was “looking to arrange flights for British nationals from other locations”.

