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The lockdown implemented by several countries, including Morocco, to avoid the spread of coronavirus, has made it hard for several people to reunite with their loved ones. In Morocco, several Dutch-Moroccans have been stranded either in the Kingdom or elsewhere following the ban on air and sea travel.
In Marrakech, Dounia is one of the Dutch-Moroccans who failed to get a plane ticket with her family to return to the Netherlands where she has a home and a job. When she first arrived in Morocco on March 3 with her husband and children, the mother did not expect «things to escalate this fast».
Dounia, who is heavily pregnant, has seen her flight cancelled due to the measures implemented by both Morocco and the Netherlands, and she was forced to stay at her family’s in Marrakech waiting for a possible flight home.
However, while waiting, the mother had to deal with other inconveniences. «My daughter needs a special kind of milk that I couldn’t find in Morocco», the mother regretted. «She keeps vomiting every time I feed her other kinds of milk», she worryingly told Yabiladi.
«Even if I can get back to the Netherlands, I would need a special certificate from a pediatrician to order this milk, because it is out of stock following the announcement of preventive measures», she said.
Housed by her family in the Kingdom, Dounia said that she also risks her job by being stranded here in Morocco. «We are running out of money», she said, adding that «as [she] works for the Dutch government, [she] informed them that she can’t join her job soon because she is stranded in Morocco but they said that they have nothing to do for her and will cut off her salary».
Things are worse for other people who have nowhere to stay in Morocco. «In the airports, we see families sitting on the ground, waiting for a flight to bring them home», Dounia regretted, referring to the «very expensive flight prices».
An ordeal to get home
While Dounia is trying to get back to the Netherlands where she lives, Rachid, another Dutch-Moroccan had finally managed to join his family and kids in Morocco, where he is settled down, after a long ordeal.
Rachid, who had to travel to Colombia before Morocco announced the suspension of international flights, found himself stranded in Latin America amid the coronavirus outbreak. «It was a nightmare for me to get back to Morocco and be with my kids», he told Yabiladi.
«I had a lot of troubles trying to get out of Colombia», Rachid recalled. «I had to fly to Mexico and then to Spain, where I was not allowed to return to Morocco because of the travel ban», he added.
The father had to go to the Netherlands, where he was stranded for two days after the country had decided to close borders to curb the spread of the virus. «I managed to get a ticket to Morocco and was able to be with my family», he said.
Dounia and Rachid were two of the many Dutch-Moroccans and Dutch tourists who were affected by the recent preventive measures implemented by several countries to combat the pandemic. According to Dutch national broadcaster NOS, Transavia has dedicated three of its flights to repatriate Dutch tourists stranded in Morocco on Monday.
«Six flights are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday from Al Hoceima, Marrakesh, Casablanca and Agadir», NOS reported.
