Stranded Moroccans Head Home From Spanish Enclave: Authorities

Madrid, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th May, 2020 ) :The repatriation of 200 Moroccan citizens stranded in a Spanish enclave since Rabat closed its borders in mid-March to tackle the coronavirus started Friday, authorities in Melilla said.

"The Moroccan government has given us a list of 200 Moroccan citizens stuck in Melilla and we are proceeding with their repatriation," a local government spokesman in Melilla said.

Melilla and Ceuta form two Spanish enclaves in northern Morocco, their boundaries representing the EU's only land borders with Africa.

Moroccan media said the repatriated individuals would be placed in quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

Moroccan authorities did not immediately provide details on the reported start of the repatriation process.

In late April, Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit told parliament that measures would be taken to repatriate Moroccans stuck in the two enclaves "in the shortest possible time".

Around 28,000 Moroccans have been stranded outside the country since the kingdom suspended international commercial flights in mid-March in a bid to forestall the spread of the novel coronavirus.

A large number of those stranded are stuck in France, Turkey and Spain.

Many have taken to social media to voice their distress.

Moroccan consular services say they have covered accommodation expenses for some of those stranded.

dbh-isb/eh/dwo/sw