First plane with Dutch nationals from Lebanon landed in Eindhoven

The first repatriation flight with Dutch nationals from Lebanon landed on Saturday night. The aircraft, a military Airbus A330, arrived at Eindhoven airbase at 8:52 p.m. There are 185 people on board, including just over 100 Dutch nationals.

Belgians, Finns, and Irish are also on board the aircraft, which took off for Beirut at 9:20 a.m. on Friday. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they will be received by the embassies of their respective countries.

Dutch nationals who wanted to leave Lebanon could register with the ministry until 5 p.m. on Friday. Over 500 people did so. The ministry then checked who was eligible for repatriation. A second flight will take off from Eindhoven on Saturday to pick up the remaining Dutch citizens.

For the Dutch who were able to board the first repatriation flight from Lebanon, their arrival in Eindhoven is twofold: They feel relieved but have mixed feelings about leaving Lebanon.

"For me, it's 50/50 to be back. My whole family lives there: my grandmother, aunt, uncle, nephews, and nieces. I had to leave them behind," says Rodrigue, who lives in Volendam. "But I have my wife and sister here." Since September 4, he has lived in a village 15 kilometers from Beirut for vacation and work. "Life was normal then. We have experienced threats before. Nothing ever happened, but this time it was serious."

As the country's situation deteriorated, Rodrigue could no longer return on a commercial flight. "My wife said,' You have to save them, or you have to come and save me."'It was a very difficult decision to return to the Netherlands, he says. "I had to split myself, but that is not possible. If I could, I would have done it."'

It was also not an easy decision for Wilbert, who has lived and worked in the center of Beirut for ten years, to leave the country. "You leave many people behind, colleagues, friends, family, people you love. That is difficult for them and for us." He was sent by the Protestant Church in the Netherlands and worked in Lebanon. Because it became more dangerous in recent days, he decided to leave in consultation with the church. "You assess the risks, and based on that, you make a decision. It was better to go back now." Wilbert hopes that it is temporary and that the situation will improve quickly so that he can return. "That is where our life lies, our work."

Nada from Lelystad was very happy to be on the repatriation flight. In mid-September, she left for Tripoli in northern Lebanon to visit her sister, who had undergone a serious operation. Her flight was canceled twice because of the bombings. "I couldn't go home anymore," she says. "I was supposed to stay for nineteen days, but it turned out to be longer. I'm very happy to be home again."

Despite the threatening situation, there are also Dutch people who have decided not to leave Lebanon. "It varies from person to person, but I can imagine that not everyone wants to leave their home (...) and leave their pets behind, for example. Because they are not allowed to fly with you," said Ambassador Frank Mollen from Lebanon on NOS Radio 1 Journaal on Friday.

Earlier this week, the Dutch government had asked the Dutch to leave Lebanon. Due to the Israeli air strikes and the increasing tensions in the region, it is no longer safe there. Other countries have also withdrawn their citizens from Lebanon. British, German, and Romanian authorities, among others, have flown people back to their home countries.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dutch nationals who remain in Lebanon but later decide to leave can also expect help from the government. It will then be examined whether they can use commercial flights or repatriation flights from other countries.