Sudanese NHS doctor 'betrayed' after being refused entry onto evacuation flight to UK

An NHS doc trapped successful Sudan aft visiting household for Eid has urged the authorities to alert him backmost to the UK, saying helium feels "betrayed" aft being turned distant from evacuation flights.

Sudanese-born Dr Abdulrahman Babiker is owed backmost connected displacement arsenic a registrar astatine the Manchester Royal Infirmary connected Tuesday.

Despite having a UK enactment permit, helium cannot committee an evacuation formation arsenic they lone judge UK passport holders.

BBC Two's Newsnight has learned of astatine slightest 24 NHS doctors successful this position.

The Foreign Office says it is prioritising British nationals, saying radical successful Dr. Babikar's concern are allowed to participate the UK, but indispensable marque their ain mode there.

Dr Babiker, who has worked astatine the Manchester infirmary for much than 4 years, told Newsnight: "To beryllium honorable I consciousness wholly betrayed… I worked passim Covid and I'm truthful disappointed."

It is surely not however Dr Babiker expected his perilous travel to Wadi Seidna airbase to crook out. Speaking from a relative's location successful neighbouring Omdurman, helium says helium hoped to beryllium helped to flight a struggle that has already claimed hundreds of lives.

"I had spoken to my MP and had emails advising maine to spell to the aerial base," helium says.

For astir 2 weeks, rival factions wrong the Sudanese subject person fought for control, destroying ample sections of the superior Khratoum successful the process and sidesplitting hundreds of civilians.

After initially telling radical to marque their ain mode retired of the country, the British Foreign bureau yet enactment connected a bid of rescue flights.

But aft 16 hours queuing astatine the tract northbound of Khartoum, Dr Babikar was told helium could not board.

"They said 'we are truly sorry., this is the guidance from the Home Office'. And a worker took maine out," helium said.

Speaking connected Newsnight, Dr Nadia Baasher of the Sudanese Junior Doctor's Association said Dr Babiker was conscionable 1 illustration of a overmuch larger problem. She said she knew of astatine slightest 24 NHS doctors successful a akin position, having been caught successful Sudan portion connected a abbreviated travel there, galore of them for Eid.

"People are heartbroken by the full situation," she said.

She said that immoderate of those who had gone to the airbase had taken the determination to permission their Sudanese families down to instrumentality to their jobs moving successful the NHS - and immoderate were travelling with their young children. "It's not safe. This is is precise disappointing to spot that they weren't treated with immoderate consideration."

Many had been visiting household successful Sudan for Muslim solemnisation Eid, similar Dr Babikar who travelled to the East African federation 3 days earlier warring started.

The cognition to rescue British nationals has undoubtedly been a hard one, with precedence fixed to children, the sick and the elderly.

Downing Street has said eligibility requirements had been acceptable retired "very clearly" and had not changed, but determination was "an constituent of discretion" for those moving connected the crushed successful Sudan. The Foreign Office besides said different routes are available, "such arsenic crossing the borderline into Egypt."

But Dr Babikar claims that discretion was not used. He says would person gladly waited successful line, but says helium was told to permission the airbase by soldiers.

"I'd beryllium much than blessed to hold for for different radical to beryllium evacuated earlier me, but to not person immoderate accidental to beryllium evacuated successful this precise risky are.... I'm truly feeling disappointed."

The Foreign Office said 8 flights had airlifted 897 radical from the eastbound African state to Cyprus arsenic of Thursday.

However, this is simply a fraction of the thousands of British nationals thought to beryllium successful Sudan and determination person been increasing reports of situations similar Dr Babikar's.

Dr Baasher of the Sudanese Junior Doctor's Association added it volition deed aboriginal recruitment to an already struggling wellness service.

"I deliberation this volition person an interaction connected planetary aesculapian graduates wanting to articulation the NHS. They marque up astir 40% of the workforce and it volition marque different nationalities deliberation doubly astir whether they privation to enactment for the NHS."

It comes arsenic a further 72-hour ceasefire has been agreed betwixt the rival Sudanese service and Rapid Support Forces, giving anticipation that further evacuation flights volition beryllium possible.

British subject chiefs accidental they person the capableness to alert astatine slightest 500 radical per time retired of the Wadi Seidna airfield, northbound of Khartoum.

The Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who had antecedently warned the ngo could go "impossible" tweeted connected Thursday night: "I impulse each British nationals wishing to permission to proceed to the airdrome arsenic rapidly arsenic imaginable to guarantee their safety."

More than 2,000 British nationals successful Sudan person registered nether evacuation plans.

Mr Cleverly besides called for the ceasefires "full implementation" by the generals successful struggle successful Africa's 3rd largest country.

Additional reporting by Andre Rhoden-Paul