Morocco’s Diaspora Frustrated by Strict Quarantine Rules for Summer Return

The obligation to observe a ten-day quarantine in a hotel has dampened the hopes of many Moroccans residing in the countries placed by Morocco on its List B, indicates Challenge, specifying that many families have expressed their astonishment at this constraining measure which has pushed many of them to stay in their host country or to change destination.

"In addition to isolating themselves in a hotel for ten days, MREs from List B countries must undergo a PCR test on the ninth day of their health isolation to prove that they are not carrying the virus," denounces a young Moroccan whose brother living in Saudi Arabia canceled his trip at the last minute.

Questioning in turn the opportunity to observe the quarantine, a Moroccan woman from a Gulf country and in isolation in a hotel adjacent to Casa-Voyageurs, filmed her exit from the hotel and her walk.

"If it is logical that the public authorities take the necessary health precautions, some countries have still managed to put in place shorter quarantine solutions, just as preventive but not dissuasive," argues an expert, noting that it is possible to impose at the airport upon arrival, a screening of travelers and then a self-confinement of barely 24 hours until the results are available. "It is only in the event of a positive result that there will be isolation in a hotel dedicated to this purpose," observes the expert.

On Wednesday, June 16, MREs from Bahrain, a country on List B, staged a sit-in at Mohammed V Airport in Casablanca to express their refusal to submit to the 10-day isolation measure. For their part, the Moroccan authorities remained firm, arguing that these measures aim to guarantee health safety for all.