Irish Abroad During Coronavirus Lockdown

mcgregor2019

I’ve been feeling a bit neglected recently and decided to come here to unleash my frustration.

To make a long story short, I’ve been stuck in Saudi Arabia for about 6 weeks now. I arrived in Saudi Arabia just before things locked up, I was on a business trip and we got forced to cut out the remainder of our meetings, earlier than expected, due to the Coronavirus outbreak. We assumed that things would be back to normal within a few weeks, things are exactly the same here now, everything shut, except chemists, supermarkets and hospitals, and this might remain deep into the future.

During this time, the past 6 weeks, all the airports and border crossings have been partially shut, only a select few flights leaving every week, so I’m accidentally left stranded abroad until further notice.

I emailed the Irish embassy in Riyadh, as soon as the crisis began to unfold, and explained my situation and gave them all of my details. They said that they would put my name on a list and I’d have first preferences to leave Saudi Arabia when flights to Europe resume, once the airports fully reopen, flight paid at my own expense which I don't mind, nobody knows when that will be, perhaps a few more weeks or months and I was cool with that at the time.

I also contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ireland on numerous occasions and they’ve more or less echoed what the Irish embassy have been saying, just wait and hope that the flights resume and to frequently check their website for any updates and they will email me with details of a way back to Europe, once this virus is more manageable. I assumed that would have been weeks ago, but I'm currently still stuck here, until the virus is under control.

During this lockdown, I’ve been alongside my fellow co-workers, from different parts of the world, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Australia and Canada. They’ve all been gifted with lots of benefits from their governments, for example, free hotel stay, food vouchers, Wifi vouchers, their own fully paid transport driver, to take them shopping twice a week and they’ve been given up to date information about the crisis, along with regular phone calls from their respective governments checking in on them, almost on a weekly basis. They’ve even been given safety tips, via email, about staying hygienic, dangerous areas where the virus has quadrupled, and messages showing potential flights back to their countries when things begin to open up again, all fully paid by their governments.

I feel like I’ve been forgotten about and somewhat neglected. It seems like the Irish government have completely forgotten that Irish people are experiencing complications abroad, and are unable to work, currently no income coming in, and it seems like they are unwilling to show any interest when it comes to Irish abroad, or trying to help out in any way possible.

I know this is an unprecedented time and I know that things are bad back home and hospitals are overwhelmed and our government officials are busier than ever these days, it just doesn’t seem like this crisis is being handled properly for Irish people abroad.

What do you all think about this possible situation?

Lillyfae

Sounds awful OP. I'm living abroad but in a totally different situation, I have a family and have been here a while. Not affected any more or less than anyone here.

Are you a freelancer or PAYE? If PAYE, is your employer footing the bill? To be honest I wouldn't have thought the embassies or Department of Foreign Affairs would have been providing anything other than advice, much less a personal driver. Are you in a comfortable situation? Like, can you get out for a walk around, have you enough space in your accommodation and a means to get what you need? Enough contact with friends and family back home?

Salary Negotiator

How is your employer or insurer helping?

mcgregor2019

Everything is currently on hold until the virus disappears, the country is more of less completely locked up, with the exception of supermarkets, chemists and hospitals and some smaller shops open.

Work should resume, once the world is in a more comfortable position, until then, we haven't been updated with anything, no pay until meetings resume.

I have insurance from the job, but that only covers hospital bills and medical expenses, luckily my health is currently good and the virus seems to be under control in Saudi Arabia.

To make a long story short, I was just assuming that the Irish government would at least provide food assistance until the virus is no longer a danger, something like 20 Euro a day would have been sustainable, but they don't want to help out Irish abroad, for whatever reason, while other governments bend over backwards to help out their citizens in different ways.

Maybe this will change in the future, only time will tell

joseywhales

I imagine that your work should have you on a per diem while out on their business. They are responsible for your travel, they should take care of you.

Salary Negotiator

joseywhales wrote: »

I imagine that your work should have you on a per diem while out on their business. They are responsible for your travel, they should take care of you.

Exactly.

OP doesn’t even live in Ireland so not sure why he would expect social welfare while living abroad.

jester77

I would be directing those issues to the employer and not the embassy. It's your employers responsibility to get things sorted for you and they should be dealing with the embassy on your behalf.

Fr_Dougal

If you traveled 6 weeks ago you would have had a fair idea that restrictions were around the corner. You only have yourself to blame for your predicament, no doubt the rewards were decent enough had your business trip in Saudi Arabia been successful.

Lillyfae

mcgregor2019 wrote: »

I have insurance from the job, but that only covers hospital bills and medical expenses, luckily my health is currently good and the virus seems to be under control in Saudi Arabia.

To make a long story short, I was just assuming that the Irish government would at least provide food assistance until the virus is no longer a danger, something like 20 Euro a day would have been sustainable, but they don't want to help out Irish abroad, for whatever reason, while other governments bend over backwards to help out their citizens in different ways.

No I really wouldn't expect the Irish government to be subsidising your employer. 20e a day to who knows how many people isn't reasonable or sustainable.

jrosen

Your employed, I would imagine any issues you have would require you to deal with your company and not the irish government.
Surely if you are traveling for work they should be giving you expenses.

biko

That really sucks OP but it's not the government that sent you there.
I'm not sure why your co-workers gets sustained by their governments but they should also lean on your joint employer.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Salary Negotiator wrote: »

Exactly.

OP doesn’t even live in Ireland so not sure why he would expect social welfare while living abroad.

He says he was on a business trip in Saudi Arabia, not living there.

Salary Negotiator

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

He says he was on a business trip in Saudi Arabia, not living there.

Posted 1 month ago in a different thread.

The OP should be afforded consular assistance in booking flights, being kept updated on travel restrictions etc but i thinks it’s unreasonable of him to expect financial assistance when he doesn’t live in Ireland.

mcgregor2019 wrote: »

I’ve been living in the Middle East for the past while and I honestly say it was a good decision. Life is definitely different than Ireland, no beer, very conservative country, besides that, it’s difficult to complain, of course I have my bad days, but with the lack of opportunities in Ireland and the lack of a proper structure, it’s not worth staying in Ireland.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Oh, right.

Dick Turnip

Hi OP - where are you based normally? Are you staying in a hotel in Saudi Arabia since lockdown?

Are you self employed or working for a company?

mcgregor2019

Dick Turnip wrote: »

Hi OP - where are you based normally? Are you staying in a hotel in Saudi Arabia since lockdown?

Are you self employed or working for a company?

Currently staying in a hotel at my own expense. I work for an international company with my base in Dublin, we have links in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

mcgregor2019

Salary Negotiator wrote: »

Posted 1 month ago in a different thread.

The OP should be afforded consular assistance in booking flights, being kept updated on travel restrictions etc but i thinks it’s unreasonable of him to expect financial assistance when he doesn’t live in Ireland.

I travel a lot for work, mostly around the Middle East, my base is in Dublin and I shift from area to area, I also have links in Asia, maybe not for long more.

I guess different countries are doing things differently, all I can do is wait for this virus to finish and then plan from there, maybe things will be different in the future

mcgregor2019

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

If you traveled 6 weeks ago you would have had a fair idea that restrictions were around the corner. You only have yourself to blame for your predicament, no doubt the rewards were decent enough had your business trip in Saudi Arabia been successful.

Very good point, I don't really think anyone would have thought that the whole world would be more or less completely locked down in such a short space of time.

People, even the Irish government, weren't taking is seriously at that time. People only began taking it seriously when Boris Johnson got ill.

Shops, taxis, busses and schools were still fully functioning 6 weeks ago, people were even going out to pubs.

We were definitely slow to react to the outbreak, along with America and England

Quin_Dub

mcgregor2019 wrote: »

Currently staying in a hotel at my own expense. I work for an international company with my base in Dublin, we have links in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Why???

Your employer sent you there , I'm going to guess you have a company credit card if you travel with any regularity.

If I was in your situation , my personal credit/debit card wouldn't see the light of day until I got home.

I travel a lot for work and there isn't a chance in hell that I would put my hand in my pocket to cover the cost of any delays or other charges while travelling on business no matter how long those delays lasted.

cian68

mcgregor2019 wrote: »

People only began taking it seriously when Boris Johnson got ill.

I think you've got your wires crossed a bit there. Pubs closed and our national holiday effectively cancelled before Johnson was sick

Salary Negotiator

Quin_Dub wrote: »

Why???

Your employer sent you there , I'm going to guess you have a company credit card if you travel with any regularity.

If I was in your situation , my personal credit/debit card wouldn't see the light of day until I got home.

I travel a lot for work and there isn't a chance in hell that I would put my hand in my pocket to cover the cost of any delays or other charges while travelling on business no matter how long those delays lasted.

There’s something the OP isn’t telling us.

He’s travelling for business but paying his own out of pocket expenses. A month ago he was a teacher living in the Middle East and now he travels a lot for work and is based in Ireland despite being stuck in KSA for the last 6 weeks.