In a statement, Royal Air Maroc clarified that these special flights were programmed in consultation with the Moroccan authorities for the benefit of the Moroccan community residing in Ukraine, which consists mainly of students.
She added that due to the closure of Ukraine’s airspace, the company will organize flights at exceptional prices from countries bordering the European country.
The statement, seen by “Sky News Arabia”, added that three flights will be operated, starting on Wednesday, March 2, from Bucharest, Budapest and Warsaw in the direction of Casablanca Airport.
Royal Airlines revealed that an exceptional fixed price for these flights, which are exclusively for Moroccans settled in Ukraine and their family members, was set at 750 dirhams, including fees, equivalent to 78 dollars.
continuous efforts
In a statement issued recently, the Moroccan embassy in Ukraine recommended to Moroccan citizens residing in Ukraine not to leave their places of residence except in cases of extreme necessity, and to keep permanent identification papers, and to communicate continuously with the embassy and the crisis cell designated for this purpose.
As for the citizens who decided to leave, the Moroccan embassy, āāin close coordination with the Kingdom’s embassies in neighboring countries, confirmed its commitment to facilitating the transit process for Moroccan citizens from Ukraine in safe conditions.
In this context, the Moroccan authorities called on those wishing to leave Ukrainian territory to go to the border crossings to enter Romania, Hungary and Slovakia, where reception and escort cells will be established.
In an interview with “Sky News Arabia”, Moroccan student Ayoub, who is studying in Ukraine and is currently on the border with Hungary, confirmed that the conditions of movement are not easy due to the panic and coordination problems that complicated the crossing of citizens of different nationalities to the Ukrainian border.
Ayoub added that “there are buses that began transporting Moroccan students to the airports so that they can leave the countries surrounding Ukraine.”
The young Moroccan who studies pharmacy confirmed that “the severe cold (about minus 5) increased the suffering of the students at the borders, hoping to return to Morocco as soon as possible.”
Students from several Arab countries go to Ukraine annually to continue their university studies, especially in medicine and engineering, given the ease of obtaining entry visas to this country.
There are 12 thousand Moroccans, including eight thousand students, in Ukraine.
Since the spark of tension in the country, a large number of Moroccans have left Ukraine for neighboring countries to escape the war, and the number of Moroccan citizens who left Ukraine, through border crossings, has risen to around one oāclock after Tuesdayās demise, to 2030, according to the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. .
The same source indicated that this number, which remains likely to rise, is divided between Poland with 835 people, Romania with 549 people, Hungary with 346 people, and Slovakia with 300 people.
wholesale facilities
In this regard, the writer and political researcher, Khaled Fathi, said that Morocco had expectations that later proved correct about the possibility of war. Since the beginning of the tension, the state has sought to evacuate Moroccan students from Ukraine, who number in the thousands and are studying in various disciplines.
Fathi continued, in a statement to “Sky News Arabia”: “The Moroccan Foreign Ministry provides all facilities for citizens there, and it also provides flights at symbolic prices. It is about students and families facing terrible anxiety and fear for the fate of their children.
He continued, “We remember here the evacuation of Moroccan students stranded in China when the Corona pandemic appeared. Thus, we can say that the Moroccan authorities have done what is necessary in light of such compulsions, and therefore they have also responded to a popular demand expressed by Moroccans on social media.”
Evacuation of Mauritanian students
On Monday, Mauritanian media reported that the Mauritanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had obtained approval from its Moroccan counterpart to evacuate Mauritanian students stranded in Ukraine; This is through the planes allocated by the Moroccan authorities to transport the Moroccan community residing in Ukraine.
Mokhtar Ould Khaifa, head of the Union of Mauritanian Communities Abroad, said in a statement to the Independent Mauritanian News Agency that the Mauritanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured him of the Moroccan approval.
Commenting on this decision, Khaled Fathi said: “Morocco will also evacuate Mauritanian students out of brotherhood. We are two brother countries, and we have strong relations.”
He continued, “This decision comes with an agreement between the Moroccan and Mauritanian ministries of foreign affairs. I think that this behavior can only be applauded and appreciated. We are one Maghreb people..and welcome to our Mauritanian brothers and students in Morocco.”
