Most countries affected by coronavirus pandemic have closed their borders and issued travel bans in order to prevent the spread of infection. According to L.Munkhtushig, Director General at the Consular Department of the Foreign Ministry, a total of 6313 Mongolian people who are stuck in 45 countries have applied to the country’s embassies and consulates begging for planes to be sent to evacuate them.

Separately, Mr. L.Munkhtushig noted that foreign diplomats and family members can arrive in Mongolia with government chartered flights under a decision made by the National Emergency Commission on 20 March. There has been a dispute over foreign nationals included in Mongolian evacuation flights after two family members of employees of the Turkish Embassy in Ulaanbaatar were confirmed as having coronavirus. The Turkish nationals arrived in Mongolia with a South Korean charter flight on 28 March.

Mongolia has evacuated over 1500 people on government chartered flights from South Korea, Japan and Europe since mid-March.