Press
Around 1,500 passengers were stuck on a cruise ship in Barcelona. The reason for this was 69 Bolivians without valid Schengen visas. Authorities are investigating the case.
Barcelona – Many people go on cruise ships to explore the world by water. However, around 1,500 passengers from the MSC shipping company were initially only able to view the Mediterranean region from a distance: they had to wait with their ship in the port of Barcelona. The ship has now continued its journey, but not everyone was allowed to continue.
1,500 cruise passengers are stuck: a subgroup without valid papers is not allowed to leave the ship
The cruise ship was actually supposed to continue its planned journey through the Mediterranean on Tuesday (April 2nd). However, because 69 Bolivians had boarded the “Armonia” in Brazil and wanted to travel to Spain, the ship was not allowed to leave.
As it was discovered during the trip, they did not have valid Schengen visas, which would have been required for a shore leave in Barcelona. Therefore, they were not allowed to disembark and the ship and all those traveling on were not allowed to continue on the route. However, there are also a number of reasons why people can be thrown off board on cruises.
Relatives of the Bolivians told several media outlets that they had probably been cheated. An agency in South America had to be paid up to $10,000 per person to get on the ship. It was not announced that they would have problems with their papers there. Return flight tickets that had already been paid for were also canceled by the agency. Families with children were among those barred from entering mainland Spain.
After the visa incident in Barcelona: The “Armonia” was able to continue its journey
However, the local police could not rule out that the arrested Bolivians wanted to enter Spain illegally. The shipping company MSC quickly announced that it wanted to clarify the situation with the Spanish authorities as quickly as possible. “Although their documents were checked upon embarkation in Brazil, further investigation revealed that the visas were sophisticated forgeries that are not valid for entry into the Schengen area,” the shipping company wrote.
On Thursday (April 4th) it was announced that the “Armonia” would be allowed to continue its journey. The shipping company MSC reached an agreement with the Spanish authorities and then set course for Italy. The journey to Marghera in Veneto continued without the 69 passengers from Bolivia. They have to wait in the transit area in Barcelona until their situation has been clarified. The most likely scenario is that they will have to travel back to Latin America. Another cruise ship was detained on suspicion of cholera. (rd/dpa)
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