French Retirees Stranded in Morocco Since March Finally Set to Return Home

The retired couple had left Parcé-sur-Sarthe (Sarthe) in their motorhome for Morocco on January 5, 2020 to return there on March 15. But that was without counting on the impact of the health crisis on their trip. Arrived in Marrakech on January 14, Yves-Marie and Monique Mention find themselves stuck in the kingdom. "We got stuck, there were no more boats," Yves-Marie tells Actu.fr. They are forced to return to the ochre city where they will remain confined.

"I haven’t left the campsite for two and a half months. We have a friend who was going to do our shopping," explains the Sarthois. In Morocco, the lockdown has been extended until June 10. The two retirees’ attempts to return to France by boat have failed. The tickets they bought to return on March 24 and June 13 were canceled.

Yves-Marie and Monique Mention are betting, one last time, on the repatriation boats set up. "You shouldn’t believe that the repatriations are free. It will cost us 500 euros to go as far as Malaga, which is a 5-hour crossing," says the retiree.

This time, luck is smiling on the Sarthois couple. Monique and Yves-Marie Mention will finally be able to board on Friday, June 5, 2020. "We were given permission to travel from June 4 to be able to take the boat. (...) We had the consulate confirm it to us," they say.