Due to closed borders, many Moroccans stranded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey are pleading with the government to repatriate them.
Many of these Moroccans are taking to social media to organize and make their voice heard.
“Parliament members do not care about the stranded Moroccans and the closure of the borders, and there were no programmed questions about this problem on Monday, December 6,” reads a comment on Facebook.
The majority of Moroccans stuck abroad have expressed the same concern about how Moroccan authorities closed the international borders abruptly, leaving many exposed to financial insecurity and related uncertainty as they extend their stays beyond their initial budgets.
Amid the frustration and cries for help, the Moroccan government has promised to organize repatriation programs for Moroccan nationals.
“The government is determined to organize exceptional flights for people who did not have the chance to return to the country before the borders closed,” said Mustapha Baitas, the government’s spokesman.
Some of the stranded Moroccans have since pleaded with Moroccan authorities to arrange for their repatriation.
The government justified the sudden travel restrictions by citing the worrying spread of Omicron, the new COVID-19 variant.
Read also: Royal Air Maroc Announces Special Flights From Morocco To Canada, Spain and Italy
Morocco decided to close its borders on November 30, leaving many Moroccans in an unpleasant situation that only gets worse as their savings deplete by the day.
The Moroccan national carrier, Royal Air Maroc, has already announced it would be carrying special flights from Morocco to Belgium, Canada, Spain, and Italy between December 4 and 6.
As part of the company’s emergency plan after Morocco suspended all flights, RAM also confirmed that it would be preparing flights from Morocco to France, Spain, and Mauritania between December 7 and December 10.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Omicron variant that was discovered in southern Africa has now spread to 38 nations.
Many health experts said that Omicron can highly lower vaccine effectiveness and trigger a new and alarming wave of COVID infections.
