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As scheduled, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Moroccans Living Abroad at the House of Representatives held a session devoted, on Wednesday, to examining the situation of the thousands of Moroccans stranded abroad and in Morocco in the presence of the Minister in charge of Moroccans Living Abroad.
During this meeting aired live on Facebook, Nezha El Ouafi addressed the situation of these Moroccans who request urgent repatriation plans. She referred to the cells created exclusively by embassies and consulates abroad to assist Moroccans, adding that networks of lawyers and doctors of Moroccan origin operating in Europe have been mobilized to provide advice and care to stranded Moroccan citizens.
The minister also revealed that some of them will start by «tomorrow to receive medical and psychological assistance».
El Ouafi addressed the problem of repatriating the mortal remains of Moroccans who died in these exceptional circumstances, welcoming the work of embassies and consulates. She also affirmed that 90% of the deceased were buried in areas reserved for Muslims in host countries.
The minister pledged to accompany families to facilitate the transfer of the remains of the deceased for burial in Morocco once the health emergency linked to the pandemic ends.
«Give them hope»
During her intervention, Nezha El Ouafi kept asking the «18,260 Moroccans awaiting repatriation to be patient and to make sacrifices». The number she mentioned exceeds noticeably the 7,500 announced by Head of government Saadeddine El Othmani, Monday, April 13 at the House of Representatives.
Obviously, these calls for «patience and sacrifice» were not met with the support of MPs, including those from the Justice and Development Party (PJD) majority.
The chairman of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) group, Chakran Imam, called on the government to give Moroccans hope. «They have been waiting for over a month. It is time to give them concrete answers», he said. The MP took the opportunity to plead for the immediate return of stranded Moroccans in Ceuta and Melilla.
Islamist MP Khalid Boukarii even embarrassed Minister delegate El Ouafi on the budget allocated by Moroccan diplomacy for the burial of Moroccans who died in these times of Covid-19: «A million dirhams is a pittance and not worth mentioning. It barely covers the burial of 14 bodies, knowing that each operation costs 7,000 euros», he explained.
MPs also asked for the scheduling of another meeting to examine this matter. «Give us a deadline for the repatriation of these Moroccans. This is what we are asking of you», the representatives said.
Almost all MPs who spoke on Wednesday wondered about the reasons that prevent the government from carrying out the repatriations of its nationals whereas it authorizes European countries to charter planes in Morocco for the transport of their stranded citizens.
Speaking again, Minister delegate El Ouafi reiterated her calls to thousands of Moroccans to «be patient», stressing that the repatriation will only be operational when «the health safety conditions are guaranteed».
