Several Moroccans currently stranded in France told Hespress English they are unsure of how to get back home, after Moroccan authorities announced the end of all exceptional flights to the country by Dec.23.
Omar Challal, a computer science engineer in Morocco, told Hespress English that he is currently in France, with “no assistance or insurance from Morocco’s Consulate General or the Embassy.”
“Out of curiosity, I visited RAM’s website to have an idea about booking details, and noticed that flight tickets’ prices tripled, whereas stranded foreigners in Morocco are able to purchase their flight tickets with reasonable prices,” he added.
Following Morocco’s closure of borders, RAM announced one-way special flights for Moroccans stranded abroad in three destinations, set to end by Dec. 23 after the country reported its first Omicron case.
These include an already fully booked flight departing from Portugal on December 18 at MAD5000, four flights departing from Turkey between December 16 and 19, with prices ranging between MAD12000 and MAD14000.
Leila Hamdi, a new graduate from a university in France in international relations told Hespress English in a statement, “I was supposed to return definitively to Morocco in this month, but I cannot due to the closure of borders as well as the unavailability of special flights in France.”
“ I’ve received three shots of anti-COVID-19 vaccine, and I’m still incapable to return to my home country,” she added.
Hamdi recommends the reopening of borders for Moroccans residing abroad as well as students, especially those who don’t have a long-term residence permit.
“ Moroccan authorities have to enable students to return to their country while organizing special flights,” she said, stressing, “the closure of borders is not the right solution to curb the spread of the Omicron variant.”
“Flight tickets are too expensive, as a one-way flight ticket from Portugal costs MAD5000,” she said.
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