Morocco Reopens Borders as Expatriates Return Home After 15-Month Closure

"It’s been a year and a half since I’ve been here and finally I was able to come, I’m very happy. At first, we were a little scared and several people didn’t have the budget to come, but with the decision of King Mohammed VI. May God keep him. We are really very happy," confides to Le360 a young woman arriving from Brussels, Belgium.

On Sunday, the sovereign ordered all stakeholders in the air and maritime transport sector to practice reasonable prices in order to facilitate the return of Moroccans residing abroad. Following the royal instructions, the national airline Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has offered reduced and fixed rates. "This royal decision has encouraged all Moroccans in the world to return to the country. We are all united behind our king. It’s been 6 months since I’ve been back in the country and I’m very happy to be back in the motherland," says a passenger.

To ensure maximum safety for passengers and to enforce the conditions of access to the territory, a health system has been put in place at the terminals of Mohammed V Airport in Casablanca. "With the resumption of flights, the new procedure has been applied. Passengers are checked according to their origin. If the passengers come from countries on list A, we ask either for the vaccination certificate or a PCR test. If the passengers come from a country on list B, they must present a PCR test less than 48 hours old and respect a ten-day quarantine," says Mohamed Moussif, chief physician at Mohammed V Airport.

Passengers also welcome this system. "I’m coming from Antwerp, and here in Morocco, it’s better organized, I find. It’s been two years since I’ve been back in the country, I’m very happy," testifies a young man from Belgium. According to the explanations of Abdelhak Mazour, director of Mohammed V Airport, the resumption of flights to and from Morocco should be done gradually. "With the resumption, we are expecting 125 movements today, but this figure should be largely exceeded in the coming days. The planes are arriving mostly from Europe, but there are also flights from the Middle East, North America and a few African destinations," he says.