Chinese Expats Stranded in European Airports: The New Nomads

I’m not posting this for them, nor for myself. It’s for everyone who doesn’t want to be treated this way. Don’t think “I’m not abroad, so it’s none of my business.” When someone throws wild punches in an elevator, it’s only a matter of time before you get hit. Studying abroad is not a crime, and going home needs no excuse. Yet their compliance with policies has resulted in: 60,000 RMB in costs + anxious pandemic prevention + sheer luck = flight canceled before takeoff + visa expired + no one to rely on. I don’t know who is responsible—the airline or something else—but similar incidents keep happening and need attention. I hope there won’t be another stranding.

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Today, March 28, 2022, at 04:11 AM Beijing time, 23:11 PM Swiss time.
Hundreds of us, including myself, had our flight canceled 20 minutes before boarding without reason, all stranded in the transit airport hall, unable to return home to reunite with family.
The cause: Shanghai issued a sudden notice requiring lockdown from the next day. So, one hour before departure, despite the possibility of closed-loop control upon arrival, Swiss Air canceled the flight.
Before boarding, every one of us strictly complied with pandemic prevention—self-quarantined at home, passed nucleic acid and antibody tests, and obtained dual green codes from both countries.
We hope Swiss Air provides a reasonable solution, such as coordinating with the Civil Aviation Administration to change the landing point. We don’t want to keep waiting in the airport hall. Among us are pregnant women with mobility issues, graduating students with expired visas who can’t return to their departure country, mothers with children wanting to reunite with family, and elderly people who can’t endure hardship.
After countless inquiries, a Chinese manager finally appeared and gave an outrageous response: all Chinese should go back where they came from, and the airline would not cover any financial losses.
After our efforts to negotiate, if we voluntarily return, they would compensate a small portion of losses. If we insist on going home, Swiss Air would not be responsible for any issues, including food, accommodation, quarantine, or the cost of our return tickets caused by their problem.
“If you want to stay at the airport, stay. We won’t send you home.”
“If you don’t go back to your original place, stay in the hall. We won’t give you any food.”
“Don’t you understand what I’m saying?”
“If you want to stay, then stay. We’re leaving. No one will come to help you.”
So we sit in the airport hall. Fearing infection, we haven’t removed our masks or eaten anything for nearly 30 hours. Our months of anticipation for homecoming have been destroyed by Swiss Air’s problem.
I hope the embassy and consulate can step in to help us. We just want to go home. Sincere thanks.

— Weibo user @若****

I was on flight LX188 on March 27 from Zurich to Shanghai Pudong.
After passing green code and customs code, 20 minutes before boarding, the airline suddenly canceled the flight.
Current situation:
1. Many students’ visas, BRP cards, etc. have expired, and they have already canceled their apartments and property in the departure country.
2. Everyone bought expensive tickets, paid for nucleic acid tests two days in advance, and flew to the transit country exhausted, only to have the flight canceled last minute.
3. The airline’s response: no authority to change the landing point. After calling the Chinese consulate, they relayed the consulate’s reply: “Respect Swiss Air’s decision”—a useless solution.
5. Among the stranded are pregnant women, children, and people from Brazil who spent most of their savings on tickets.
Our unified demand:
We hope the consulate can coordinate with the airline to change the landing point to another city in China, so we can complete quarantine there and then return to our final destinations. We are willing to cooperate with any pandemic prevention measures.
We just want to go home.

— Weibo user @另****