As the Middle East teeters on the brink of total conflagration following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, the duty of a state to its citizens abroad has come into sharp focus. Thousands of British and Irish nationals find themselves stranded as retaliatory strikes close the skies. Yet, even in the midst of a humanitarian evacuation, a glaring disparity in government priorities has emerged.

While the UK government has chartered flights from Oman at a cost of £350 per seat, the Irish government has seen fit to charge its citizens €800. Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee’s defence—that the cost is 'substantially reduced'—will ring hollow to families desperately trying to find safety.

A government’s primary moral obligation is the protection of its people. When citizens are caught in the crossfire of international conflict, the state must act as a shepherd, not a travel agent. While we understand the need for fiscal responsibility, the middle of a war zone is no place for profit-and-loss accounting.

The contrast between the two nations' approaches highlights a deeper question of national solidarity. In times of crisis, the citizen should feel the weight of their nation's shield. To charge a premium for safety is to suggest that the bond between the state and the individual is merely a commercial transaction. As the regional conflict escalates, we must ensure that no countryman is left behind because they cannot afford the price of their own rescue.