French Repatriation from Morocco and Maghreb Could Take Weeks, Official Warns

On Europe 1, the elected official states that there are still a large number of French people stranded abroad. "Those who live there permanently, officially, it’s 1.8 million; but probably three million because many don’t necessarily register with the consulates," explains Anne Genetet. "And then, you have those who are passing through, for professional reasons, vacation... There are fewer and fewer of them right now, but we still have several tens of thousands, especially in the Maghreb," she continues.

According to the elected official, these French people do not even know what position to take in these times of covid-19 and the closure of air traffic by certain countries. "Many would like to be able to stay where they have been established for decades. But the current conditions, with the economic impact of the crisis, mean that a number of them know they are threatened in their jobs, in their activities, in their businesses," explains the former consultant in health crisis management.

"And so, they may have to return to France. We will know little by little; it will trickle down over time, between now and probably January 2021," she adds. The LREM elected official will discuss the case of those who live between France and the Maghreb and who wish to return to France. According to her, "it’s very complicated."

"On the Algerian side, we still have commercial flights, and it is mainly Air France that operates them (4 to 5 flights per week)," specifies Anne Genetet. "On the Moroccan side, it’s much more complicated. The authorities have closed Moroccan airspace. So, there are no planes. For each route, France has to negotiate flight by flight to obtain authorization for a flight to land. We are at 7-8 connections per week to still probably bring back 10,000 people. We have weeks to go at this pace..."