Stranded French Retirees in Morocco Plead for Repatriation Amid Travel Restrictions

"We all have the feeling that our government is forgetting its citizens. France has repatriated many tourists by plane from many countries; but for us, it’s not possible. Only boats are the solution. But when? We feel like we’re being taken hostage," Jean-Pierre Cunin, a retiree from Cheniménil, blocked in Morocco with his wife Annette since March 20, just like nearly 8,000 other motorhome owners, told Vosges Matin.

Hubert and Jocelyne Bergé, for their part, are stuck with their motorhome in Marrakech. "We left on December 28 and we’ve been stuck in Morocco since April 13," Hubert Bergé confides. In order for the French government to take into account the situation of French motorhome owners confined in Morocco, the latter has launched a petition that has collected 2,600 signatures.

They had made the outward journey via Spain without incident and a ferry crossing between Algeciras and Tangier. But the maritime links with Spain were subsequently interrupted; which makes their return impossible. "Many French tourists rushed to Tangier to return, but the boats were canceled," Hubert Bergé said.

Although Hubert Bergé and the daughter of Jean-Pierre Cunin have alerted the Vosges parliamentarians, the status quo remains. For its part, the government is offering motorhome owners the option of returning by plane by abandoning their vehicles on site or taking their patience. "Temperatures will soon be showing 50° in Morocco. Some French retirees won’t be able to hold out," Hubert Bergé warns.