The Diplomat
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expects to finish repatriating tomorrow from Morocco the Spaniards who were trapped in that country when its authorities decreed the suspension of flights to Spain and France since 31 March due to the coronavirus, according to sources from the department headed by Arancha González Laya.
Yesterday, a Transmediterranea ferry left Tangier for Algeciras with 750 passengers on board and an Iberia plane transferred another 350 from Casablanca to Madrid. They join the nearly 1,200 Spaniards or Spanish residents who were transferred to the mainland on Sunday on a Balearia ferry and a special Iberia flight.
Today, Wednesday, another Transmediterranea ferry, also with capacity for 750 passengers, is scheduled to make the same journey from Tangiers to Algeciras.
The operation, coordinated by the Spanish Embassy in Rabat and the Consulates in different parts of Morocco with the Moroccan authorities, will be completed, in principle, tomorrow, Thursday, with the departure, also from Tangier to Algeciras, of another Balearia ferry, with capacity for 800 passengers.
This will complete the arrangements put in place to resolve the problem faced by some 4,000 Spaniards who were on tourism in Morocco and were surprised by Rabat’s decision.
The Moroccan authorities have given permission for boats and planes to carry out these special transfers, and it is not ruled out that, if there are still Spaniards left in the neighbouring country after Thursday, another trip may be organised.
The cost of the tickets is paid for by the travellers themselves or by their insurance companies. In addition, all of them are required to have a negative PCR to enter the country, as is the case for passengers arriving from Morocco.
The Ministry always advises to consult the travel recommendations before travelling abroad. Currently, in this section of its website there is a strong warning message in relation to the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It stresses the possibility of “being affected abroad by restrictions of any kind that prevent or alter your freedom of movement” as a result of the pandemic, as has happened in this specific case with Morocco.
It also recommends all Spanish travellers, regardless of their destination, to keep themselves informed at all times, to travel “with caution” and to have “insurance that covers all eventualities during the trip”.
