Morocco authorizes flights to repatriate French

A solution has been found for the French stranded in Morocco. The country, which suspended air and sea links on Friday to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, authorized flights on Saturday March 14 to allow French nationals to return to France.

"I met on several occasions with my counterpart Nasser Bourita yesterday (Friday) and this (Saturday) morning to facilitate the return of our compatriots from Morocco. First flights were able to leave this morning for France", affirms on Twitter on French Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian.

#Coronavirus
I met several times with my counterpart Nasser Bourita yesterday and this morning to facilitate the return of our compatriots from #Morocco. First flights were able to leave this morning for France.

A few thousand French tourists, traditionally the largest contingent of visitors to Morocco, are stranded, mainly in Marrakech and Agadir, since the suspension of flights to France and other European countries, according to a diplomatic source in Rabat.

Since Thursday evening, the Moroccan authorities have been banning the bans and have suspended "until further notice" air links to France, Algeria, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal after Italy, already blocked. Maritime passenger traffic is also suspended in all Mediterranean and Atlantic ports.

In Marrakech, the busiest airport in Morocco, is crowded: "We have been told since yesterday that the airspace is closed, lots of people have slept at the airport, there are pregnant women, families with children, everyone is at the end of their nerves, "indignant Sabrina, a 30-year-old Parisian woman contacted by telephone by AFP.

Marrakech airport at the moment: hundreds of French nationals can no longer leave #Morocco after the kingdom's decision to close its borders with 🇫🇷. Cascade cancellation of flights to third countries. Families with young children with no solution pic.twitter.com/BFHhD7kEfK

"Macron, a plane!"

"We have had no instructions. We can no longer leave. And we are told that the airport will be closed this evening," said a 55-year-old French nurse met by AFP outside Tangier airport.

"Macron, a plane!" Growled travelers around her. Inside, passengers are trying to change their tickets at the counters, but all the planes are full, according to the airport information desk.

The Embassy of the Netherlands in Rabat announced on Twitter that there were still flights to the Netherlands until Sunday at 8 a.m., without specifying from which airports. The Spanish embassy is also trying to negotiate departures for its nationals, according to information obtained by AFP.

As Europe has become the epicenter of the pandemic, Spain is one of the countries most affected by the new coronavirus, with more than 5,700 cases reported and at least 136 deaths. In France, there are 79 dead and over 3,600 contaminations.

Morocco remains relatively spared with 17 cases detected, one of whom died and another healed, according to the latest assessment published by the authorities which identified nine new cases overnight from Friday to Saturday. Classes have been suspended in schools and universities, sporting events are held behind closed doors, public gatherings of more than 50 people are prohibited, but it is not certain that this measure concerns collective prayers in mosques.

With AFP

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