Stranded French Tourists Face Chaotic Return from Morocco Amid COVID-19 Border Closures

The atmosphere was tense that day. Nassera Jamili, contacted by phone, is very irritated. With her sister-in-law, she has just boarded the plane, after three days of waiting in Tangier. "Here, the people are very considerate," she says. But her troubles are not over, as the EasyJet flight is bound for Nantes and the pilot refuses to take off, as it is empty. After a long wait, 34 passengers were finally able to join them, but 7 remain waiting and 3 have decided to stay in Morocco.

Nassera arrived in Morocco on March 9, convinced she would have a good stay. But faced with the coronavirus pandemic, she confides that she and her family "felt abandoned by the French embassy in Rabat. To return, we were told to drive 900 km to Marrakech, without even being sure of having a flight." She wonders why no one warned them that it was becoming complicated.

The same ordeal for Grégory Ollier, a wealth manager. He recounts that in his group, they only became aware of the extent of the epidemic once on site when flights started to be canceled. He adds that in the Medina of Marrakech, they came across people from different countries and children who shouted "Corona! Corona! Corona!" as they passed by. They will return home after a few days of waiting. On the plane that transported them to Lyon, there were 200 passengers, among whom people were coughing, children were crying.

Arrived at the Saint Exupery airport, Grégory Ollier, who expected a systematic check with temperature taking, as was the case in Marrakech, was surprised that nothing was asked of him. The reason will soon become clear to him. France has moved to stage 3, and the urgency is no longer to screen people, but to confine them. It is up to them to monitor their temperature and any symptoms. A difficult return... in "post" France, he said.