After the sudden closure of borders in Morocco on Sunday, special flights are now organized to repatriate people stranded there to France, according to a French diplomatic source.
“Special flights are set up for people who have not been able to return to France.
They are subject to "authorization" from the Moroccan authorities, indicated in a tweet the Ambassador of France, Hélène Le Gal, who invites the people concerned to get closer to the airlines.
Special flights are in place for people who have not been able to return to 🇨🇵.
They are subject to authorization.
Get closer to @AirFranceFR and @transaviaFR.
- Hélène Le Gal (@HeleneLeGal) November 29, 2021
These special flights are operational only from Morocco to France, said a French diplomatic source.
Rabat decided on November 25, before the appearance of the Omicron variant, to suspend regular flights to and from France.
The reason ?
An upsurge that she already considered worrying about the Covid in France.
Possible connections with ferries
This decision has been effective since Sunday at midnight and "until further notice".
Morocco has also suspended maritime passenger transport with France since Sunday evening.
However, it remains possible that some ferries can provide connections "if there is a demand" and with the approval of the Moroccan authorities, added the diplomatic source.
This suspension does not apply to the movement of commercial vehicles intended for the transport of goods and courier services.
These announcements come "in order to preserve Morocco's achievements in the fight against the pandemic and protect the health of citizens", according to the Interministerial Committee for monitoring the pandemic.
Read also "It makes you crazy": after the sudden closure of borders in Morocco, the galley of travelers
This restriction is further explained by the fact that France remains by far Morocco's leading economic partner.
Cultural and human ties are also close: more than 1.3 million Moroccans live in France and nearly 80,000 French people live in Morocco.
As for France, repatriation flights will be scheduled, on a case-by-case basis, by the various foreign embassies in coordination with Rabat.
Morocco has also banned access to its territory to nationals of southern African countries after the identification of the Omicron variant in South Africa.
At the same time, the epidemiological situation improved in Morocco and allowed the lifting at the beginning of November of the night curfew in force for months.