Morocco: No Legal Right to Repatriation for Citizens Stranded Abroad During Pandemic

"There is no right to repatriation in Moroccan law," confides a well-informed source dealing with this type of affair within the state apparatus in Rabat to VH. "So we cannot claim such a right, especially since the people concerned left voluntarily for private and personal reasons. But it is the State that judges the opportunity for such a repatriation depending on the seriousness of the prevailing situation," affirms the same source.

It recalls that when there was war in Libya, the State did everything to repatriate its nationals from that country because they were in mortal danger. "Certainly, it is also in the current case an exceptional situation, particularly linked to the speed of the coronavirus contamination, but we cannot claim such a right," it insists. "However, the State has put in place the necessary means to support our nationals stranded abroad," it reassures.

Dozens of Moroccans are still hoping for their repatriation, despite the assurance of the head of government, Saadeddine El Otmani, who recently declared on the Medi1TV channel that the "issue of Moroccans who remained abroad, following the suspension of international flights, is being taken care of by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs".