Launched on December 15, special repatriation flights for Moroccans stranded abroad ended Thursday, December 23, just one week after the launch. A reaction to the spread of the Omicron variant in the country which has already recorded 28 cases.
From now on, only repatriation flights from Morocco are authorized, mainly to France. Morocco also announced the extension of the state of health emergency until January 31, 2022.
Thousands of Moroccans stranded abroad
As soon as the Omicron variant appeared, Morocco made a radical decision. It decided to close its air, land, and sea borders to the rest of the world, from November 29, 2021, until December 31, 2021. A decision that penalized the thousands of foreigners who were in the country. Thousands of Moroccan nationals have also found themselves stranded abroad.
The decision sparked outrage, which led the Moroccan government to establish a special flight device. In the beginning, these concerned foreigners who were stranded in Morocco. It was not until December 15 that special flights to the kingdom were set up.
It was Royal Air Maroc that provided these flights from only three countries: Portugal, United Arab Emirates, and Turkey. The other countries were excluded. Only Moroccan nationals resident in the kingdom are allowed to return to the country. However, they must meet several criteria.
RAM special flights: exorbitant prices
This Thursday, Moroccan and foreign media published testimonies of Moroccans stranded abroad. Among them, several graduate students who have planned their definitive return to Morocco, are today in precarious financial situations and face administrative complications.
Another problem faced by eligible people is the cost of tickets, which are considered too expensive. Hind, a Moroccan woman who was visiting her daughter in Montpellier, said on TV5 Monde: “ I found a flight to Marrakech for 1400 euros, which is totally unbelievable, I cannot buy it”.
With the spread of the Omicron variant in Europe, it is very likely that the closure of Moroccan borders will be extended beyond December 31. Enough to prolong the forced stay of Moroccans abroad and worsen the tourism crisis in Morocco.
