Ukraine Moroccans have been returned. A meeting with Moroccan students’ parents is conducted in order to mobilize the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Crisis Cell’s interests

Members of the crisis group met with four parents of Moroccan students residing in Ukraine as part of the Kingdom’s diplomatic efforts to end the crisis of students trapped in Ukraine.

The meeting provided an opportunity for members of the Group to review the proactive steps taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since February 12, 2022, including the establishment of a crisis cell tasked with tracking the development of events identified in the region and their potential implications for the security and safety of our citizens, in order to protect them from the harm that could result from the crisis’ escalation.

In this regard, a crisis cell was established at the Moroccan Embassy in Ukraine, phone numbers were made accessible to members of the Moroccan community, and a communiqué was issued advising caution and leaving Ukraine for their protection.
The Ministry has established a committee at the central level, in coordination with the competent authorities, tasked with examining the consequences of the crisis and the measures to be taken at the sectoral level to facilitate the return to the country of Moroccan group members who wish to do so.

In this light, a direct air link between Morocco and Ukraine was established, which was obtained by the Royal Moroccan and Arab Airlines, which offered an appropriate price for this patriotic and humanitarian operation. The Moroccan community in Ukraine, which numbers 8832 people, is primarily made up of students studying at various universities and institutions.
The direct air link between Morocco and Ukraine allowed 849 Moroccan citizens to travel on five flights (Royal Moroccan Line 02 – Arab Flight 03), while the Consular Call Center got over 6,600 calls, 70% of which came from our Ukrainian population and 30% from their Moroccan family members.
A crisis team has been established at the national level, tasked with daily monitoring of the country’s events and coordinating the repatriation of Moroccan community members from Ukraine, in collaboration with our embassy in Kiev.

They have already been came to the notice of Moroccans living in Ukraine and their families in Morocco so that the Consular Call Centre, which has been operational since 2018, can communicate with them and answer their questions. This is part of the Ministry’s overall strategy to improve the consular offer to Moroccans living abroad.
The parents of the students present were informed of the importance of following the Ukrainian authorities’ directives and safety measures in order to protect their children’s lives, such as leaving their homes only in extreme circumstances, keeping their identity papers and travel papers, and communicating with the Embassy and the special crisis cell on a regular basis.

They were also informed that, due to the current scenario (air and maritime closures), they would have to rely on a land solution to leave their country of residence. To this end, Morocco’s embassies in Austria, Hungary, Bologna, and Romania are working to obtain the necessary permits to facilitate the transit of members of our community through these countries’ border posts, particularly those who are not eligible for visas, vaccinations, or other forms of identification.
The parents of the students’ delegates acknowledged their sympathy of the hardship of the situation and their gratitude for the Ministry’s efforts.