Charge non-tax residents the full economic cost of emergency repatriations

Background

Update FCDO guidelines to require HMRC residency checks for evacuation flights. Those not UK tax residents for most of the last five years must be billed the full operational cost, not a subsidised commercial rate.

Additional details

Taxpayers shouldn't subsidise those who opt out of the UK system. Currently, a "commercial" fee of £600 is charged, while actual costs exceed £4,500. This creates a "moral hazard" where high-earners in tax-free hubs like Dubai rely on UK-funded military and diplomatic services without contributing to them. Citizenship is a two-way street; those who choose not to pay UK tax should not receive a taxpayer-funded safety net. We must ensure the public purse is protected from "fair-weather" citizens.