'We want to go home': Moroccans stranded by virus seek help

Moroccans stranded abroad since ir country abruptly grounded flights due to coronavirus two months ago were holding protests in multiple countries Monday to beg ir government to let m back home.

While many countries closed ir borders to foreigners as virus pandemic erupted, Morocco went a step farr, and barred its own citizens from coming home, too. government fears an influx of imported infections could overwhelm rth African country’s hospital system.

But decision in early March was so abrupt that Moroccans abroad didn’t have time to get home – and w, over 27,800 Moroccans find mselves stuck across world, according to government estimates.

Some Moroccan day workers told Associated Press that y crossed into Spanish rth African enclave of Ceuta one morning in March to go to work, expecting to be home for dinner - and instead have been stuck in Spain for two months. y said y slept for weeks in streets before local Spanish authorities provided temporary lodging in a gym.

Stranded Moroccans have set up online campaigns to lobby government to relax its rules and let m come home.

On Monday, about 20 Moroccan men protested outside Moroccan consulate in Algeciras in sourn Spain, seeking help from Moroccan King Mohammed VI and Morocco’s parliament.

“Please, we want to go home,” said one of m, who was t identified. Ar unidentified man said, “We can’t stand it anymore.”

y told local media y were desperate to return. Some were sleeping in street because y longer had money to pay for a hotel or apartment, y said.

A Spanish Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Monday: “ return of Moroccan citizens to ir country is a matter that concerns exclusively government of Kingdom of Morocco.” She was t authorized to be named in media reports.

In Paris, ar group demonstrated outside Moroccan Embassy to demand speedy repatriation. Appeals were also posted online for protests in or countries.

Those trapped abroad include undocumented migrants whose jobs have dried up amid ecomic shutdown, Moroccan tourists whose visas have w expired, and legal migrants who want to flee countries like Spain and France out of fear of virus, which has hit European countries harder than Morocco.

Morocco has reported 188 deaths compared to more than 26,000 each in Britain, Italy, Spain, and France, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine El Otmani said in an interview with national television channel that stranded Moroccans will only be returned when “ decision to open borders is taken.”

And that still could be months away.