They received the green light from the German authorities to leave on Monday morning. Blocked since the day before on the Brumath motorway service area in the Bas-Rhin, 243 Moldovans were able to resume their journey by coach to return to their country, France 3 Alsace reported. Germany and the Czech Republic had refused them passage due to the coronavirus epidemic.
Distributed in three buses chartered by a Moldavian tour operator, they had been stranded since Sunday a few kilometers north of Strasbourg. These 243 people, men, women and a dozen children, wanted to return home to Moldova and had left Paris on Saturday morning, according to the prefecture.
A trip "without authorization"
According to Les Actualités Nouvelles d'Alsace, these are tourists and workers. Arrived at the border with Germany, at Roppenheim (Bas-Rhin), they were however turned back by the German authorities after the Czech Republic refused to let them enter the country after their passage in German territory, according to Prefecture.
Questioned by the regional daily, the consul of the Republic of Moldova in France, Eugen Vizir, explained that "the (bus) company, which had not been authorized to make this trip due to the health situation current, took a risk. " The Embassy of Moldova in France had not planned to organize their repatriation, relying on the carrier.
The French Red Cross, mobilized to help travelers, thanked its volunteers on Twitter.
Around 9:00 a.m., #Sanef asked the French Red Cross to come to the aid of the Moldovan shipwrecked stranded on an A4 area.
20 volunteers mobilized.
Finally canceled intervention, the buses left.
Thanks to the volunteers pic.twitter.com/lbIhIDJeLR
Strasbourg
Coronavirus in the Bas-Rhin: Around 240 Moldovans stranded on a motorway service area
Society
Coronavirus: The repatriation of French people stranded abroad continues, but at what cost?
- Covid 19
- Coronavirus
- Strasbourg