"We just want to go back," they say. At the start of this week, while all of France is confined because of the Covid-19 epidemic, tens of thousands of French people are still stranded abroad. For its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has already repatriated 60,000 French out of the 130,000 counted on Friday.
Much remains to be done. We know the difficult situation, sometimes even agonizing, in which thousands of French nationals still await a solution to return to the national territory.
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According to the minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, it will take another "good week" to organize the rest of the repatriations. In the meantime, those who are still stranded far from France are worried.
Yvonne, stranded in Morocco: "We lack hygiene"
In Ceuta, the Spanish city at the tip of Morocco facing the Strait of Gibraltar, an impressive convoy of vehicles awaits on the road. In one of them, Yvonne and José, a retired couple who left two weeks ago, are struggling with patience. The borders between the country and Spain have been closed since Friday. Yvonne and José thought they would remain confined to Morocco. But no. "Sunday, the owner of our campsite in Mohammedia told us that all the campsites were closed by administrative decision," said the pensioner.
After learning that a connection was possible, by ferry, to Spain, the couple decided to drive to Ceuta. He ended up stuck at the border among several hundred motorhomes. Yvonne and José have been stranded for two days now. "We are on the road, in deplorable conditions: no water, no food, nothing to empty the cassettes (Editor's note: the contents of the toilets of the motorhomes), people empty them in a hole next to it" , describes Yvonne. “We will end up lacking in hygiene. The worst part is that there are cars in the convoy, ”she adds.
The retired couple said they had no news from the authorities. "Some stranded people called the embassies, they were told to wait," says Yvonne. "No one, no representative has visited us," she adds. If the situation lasts, "it's going to be dramatic," laments the traveler. "The majority of motorhomes are retired, we must protect ourselves! ", She exclaims.
Fabienne, stranded in Cambodia: "They are doing everything to prevent us from calling"
For Fabienne and Loïc, a couple from Lille (North), this spring trip to Cambodia must have been a great excursion. In recent days, it has turned into a galley. It all started last week, when the couple, who arrived on March 13, saw embassy messages inviting them to return earlier than planned, on the 26th.
Problem: at the airport of Siem Reap, where Fabienne and Loïc put their luggage, their airline has no counter. Their travel agency cannot be reached. Armed with the medical certificate and an insurance certificate requested to make a stopover in Thailand, they finally learn that an additional paper is required. "A Thai Airways staff member who manned the boarding gate showed everyone a third document they needed: a test showing that they are negative for Covid-19," she recalls. Part of the travelers, who did not have this famous proof, could not board.
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The couple therefore go to Phnom Penh, the capital, hoping to take the famous test, but a doctor tells them that it is not necessary. But again, no luck. In addition to the addition of the test, Thailand claims to mention the treatment of infected patients in the proof of insurance. "It had never happened to me ... I think they are doing everything to prevent us from calling in Thailand," says the young midwife.
The French Embassy in Cambodia, with which the couple is linked, suggests taking the last commercial flights. This Tuesday, only Qatar Airways offered connections between Phnom Penh and France, via Vietnam and Doha, for which it is necessary to pay between 1500 and 4000 dollars, or 1400 to 3600 euros. Too much for the couple.
Tuesday evening, the concern finally arose for Fabienne and Loïc: the French Embassy in Cambodia announced the establishment of commercial flights departing Thursday and making a stopover in Doha, for 450 euros. "For those who cannot leave on this flight, we will offer other options later," said the Embassy.
Bernadette and Serge, stranded in Peru: "It's the state of war"
In Peru, everything went very quickly for Bernadette and Serge. The sixty-something couple were on a trip to the Cuzco region, more than 1,000 kilometers from the capital, Lima, when the state of emergency and the closing of borders were declared in the country last Monday. Result: the two Seine-et-Marnais, who were to leave on March 18, found themselves stranded without solution.
"We are patient, we played the game," said Bernadette. For more than a week, they have been sharing an apartment loaned by their travel agency with a French student, while waiting to be able to leave. In Peru, containment measures have been put in place for two weeks. The army and the police monitor movements. "It's a state of war," slips Serge.
Bad looks, refusal of food shopping ... For foreigners, the situation is tense. "There is a rise in xenophobia vis-à-vis Europeans," says Bernadette. In his WhatsApp group, other French people share their misadventures. A young girl also tells of having an egg in her face. "I no longer dare to go out, as a woman and as a European," says Bernadette.
Monday evening, Bernadette and Serge thought they were getting away with it. A message from the consulate invited them to gather in Cuzco in order to take a bus that would reach Lima. "We were apprehensive. It was 21 hours of road interspersed with curfews, or three days, across the Andes with major changes in temperature, ”says Bernadette. While the travelers were installed, turnaround: the consul, present on the spot, announced that they no longer had the necessary permits for the trip.
Since then, Bernadette, Serge and the other travelers with whom they are in contact have been angry. "They made us take risks," she said. A petition has been launched to call on the Quai d'Orsay to organize the repatriation of the thousands of French people stranded across the country. Bernadette and Serge think of the people who should be "priority". "In our group, there is a doctor who could come in and lend a hand, nurses, or people who require special care," sighs the couple.
"We are not the most to be pitied", Christophe, stranded in Indonesia
Christophe and his partner planned to stay in Indonesia for a month. But after Emmanuel Macron's speech eight days ago, the couple, advised by the local embassy, wanted to leave earlier, by taking a ticket scheduled for March 27. "Our company, Cathay, finally announced that the French could no longer transit through Hong Kong," says Christophe. We realized that it was the same for many other airlines. "
Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore… All possible stopovers to return to France got stuck small. The only remaining tickets are "overpriced," says Christophe. "It costs 1,500 or even 2,000 euros to return, while flights are usually four times cheaper," he says. Especially since booking such an expensive ticket is risky: there are many last minute cancellations.
Christophe and his partner, in constant contact with the embassy, therefore abandoned the search for commercial flights. "We took an open-ended colocation with other French people to limit the costs, and we are awaiting news from the embassy which is organizing with airlines," he said. Communication in the coming days is likely to be difficult: the Balinese New Year, Nyepi, begins on Wednesday, and has been extended by one day due to the epidemic. During this period, all the inhabitants remain silent, fast and meditate. The Internet will also be cut.
Rather calm, the 26-year-old traveler nevertheless believes that he is not the most to be pitied. "There are families with young children, people who have a limited budget and who have no more money," he says. In communication with dozens of other French people stranded on the spot, he also plans to shoot a video gathering their testimonies.
