The Jemaa el-Fnaa square in Marrakech, Morocco. Countries have scrambled to find a solution for stranded citizens in the tourism-popular country.
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Swiss citizens stranded in Morocco due to Covid-19 travel restrictions will be able to fly home from Tuesday, the foreign ministry has announced. It has also urged all nationals currently travelling abroad to try to get home as soon as possible.
Last Saturday hundreds of Swiss travellers found themselves stuck when Morocco suspended flights to and from 25 countries, including the Alpine nation.
Speaking at a press conference in Bern on Tuesday, Peter Lenz of the foreign ministry said that diplomatic efforts had been successful and that, from Tuesday, five commercial flights can go ahead. More will follow in the next days, he said.
Costs must however be borne by the travellers themselves; Lenz said that no there was no legal basis for the state to organise or finance flights in such a situation. That said, diplomatic and indirect support is available.
Other situations, similar to that in Morocco, will be regularly monitored by the foreign ministry, and if it comes to a situation where citizens are unable to travel by land or pay their way, the ministry will consider alternative options.
Lenz also reiterated the note sounded by the government on Monday, when it called on Swiss citizens currently travelling abroad to try to return home as soon as possible, to avoid becoming stuck in case of further closing of borders.
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