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Egypt to repatriate citizens stuck in Morocco

Morocco has had a passenger flight ban in place for months.

FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images
Policemen stand guard in front of the Autonomous Refrigeration Authority of Casablanca in the western Moroccan city of Casablanca, on Jan. 22, 2021. — FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images

Egypt’s national airline will soon fly Egyptians stuck in Morocco back home.

A Jan. 19 EgyptAir flight is set to repatriate Egyptian citizens who are stuck in Morocco due to the North African country’s border closure. Some Moroccan citizens and other foreigners will also be aboard the flight, the Egyptian state-owned news outlet Al-Ahram reported today.

Morocco closed its borders in November of last year due to rising COVID-19 cases. The omicron variant has led to more coronavirus infections throughout the world. All passenger flights in and out of Morocco were suspended, and the ban will remain in effect until at least Jan. 31.

The flight suspension has hurt Morocco’s tourism industry. On Jan. 4, hundreds of tourism industry workers protested in the capital Rabat, saying their companies are facing bankruptcy.

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