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Teacher James Prodger moved to Singapore with his wife Alex and son Zachary in 2019 Image caption: Teacher James Prodger moved to Singapore with his wife Alex and son Zachary in 2019

When maths teacher James Prodger left the UK with his wife and toddler to work in Singapore a couple of years ago, he envisioned a stint abroad peppered with exciting holidays in Southeast Asia and regular trips home to see family.

"Covid-19 really put a spanner in the works for us," he says. "We were always intending to come here with the intention of being able to go home every six months.

"We went home three times in the first year and then we had friends due to come out for a holiday in Bali, but all those things we were looking forward to just disappeared."

The thought of being unable to get home quickly for a family emergency fills him with dread.

"A major consideration for us is our parents. My wife's parents, they are in their 70s," he said. "What happens if one of our parents gets ill? That's always in the back of our minds."

As vaccine rollouts gather pace around the world and borders start to reopen, there will be a rush to book flights - not just from holiday-makers desperate for some sun, but also from those who haven't seen their families for months or even years, outside of a screen.

Read more about the pandemic's impact on those working abroad here.