Royal Air Maroc, Morocco’s national airline, has scheduled additional special flights for the homecoming of Moroccans fleeing Ukraine amid the country’s ongoing conflict.

The airline announced on Saturday that it had arranged flights from Budapest to Casablanca for March 7-8 to repatriate Moroccans who have fled Ukraine.

⚠️ UPDATE: New flights for Moroccans in Ukraine

Royal Air Maroc scheduled new special flights on March 7th and 8th, 2022 from Budapest to Casablanca for Moroccans established in Ukraine at the same fixed rate of 750 MAD taxes included.

— Royal Air Maroc (@RAM_Maroc) March 5, 2022

The fare costs for the March 7-8 flights will be fixed at MAD 750 ($75), as with similar special flights Royal Air Maroc has arranged in recent days to transport Moroccans from the European country.

Morocco has urged its citizens to flee Ukraine via crossing points with Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary so that it may help and support them in the midst of the rising crisis.

Following the closure of Ukrainian airspace since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of the nation, Royal Air Maroc then arranged a number of special flights between Morocco and the four countries.

In recent days, the Moroccan airline business has been flying special flights as part of the Moroccan government’s intention to repatriate all Moroccans willing to return to Morocco despite the escalating violence in Ukraine.

Moroccan crisis cells have been established to receive and respond to pleas for assistance and information from Moroccan nationals stranded in Ukraine.

Morocco has also mobilized its embassies in Ukraine’s surrounding nations to assist Moroccans escaping crisis zones in returning home.

Morocco has echoed worldwide concerns over the situation in Ukraine on the diplomatic front, urging for serious talks to end the conflict.

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As part of the efforts made since the beginning of the crisis between Ukraine and Russia, members of the Moroccan Embassy in Ukraine have been stationed in the city of Lviv since March 1 to assist Moroccan citizens on Ukrainian territory.

Several actions have been carried out in this framework since March 1, according to the Moroccan Embassy in Ukraine, which keeps in constant contact with the crisis unit established within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Abroad to coordinate actions and report difficulties faced by Moroccan citizens in neighboring countries such as Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Hungary.
The Moroccan ambassador to Ukraine, Faouz El Achabi, met with the official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lviv and the representative of security and borders, according to the diplomatic representation.

El Achabi reported the problems faced by Moroccans during these talks, which were held in consultation with Ukrainian officials, and called for the measures to leave Ukraine in good shape to be made easier.

Several assistance actions have been carried out in favor of Moroccans in Ukraine, according to the Moroccan Embassy, citing in particular the regular mobilization at the level of the four border posts with Poland, in order to direct Moroccan citizens to the least crowded posts, and the medical assistance provided to a Moroccan student before leaving Ukrainian territory on March 3, 2022.

The Embassy further stated that it actively monitors the status of Moroccan citizens in the cities of Soumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Marioupol, and routinely updates them on Moroccan authorities’ efforts to resolve their problems.

Thousands of people have been able to flee Ukraine thanks to the support of Embassy personnel. According to the same source, more than 150 Laissez-passer have been issued since the Embassy’s installation in Lviv, including four issued this Friday to a family with a young child.

Following its intervention with Ukrainian authorities, the Embassy stated that it had resolved the blockade caused by the refusal of some electronic passes at some border crossings, as well as the situation of four Moroccans imprisoned, with the help of representatives of the Moroccan community in Ukraine.

The Embassy is now in contact with Moscow about two Moroccans who are not listed in the Embassy’s files. In this regard, an emergency meeting with Ukrainian officials could take place in Lviv on Friday.

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Moroccan diplomacy persists to be successful in evacuating citizens attempting to escape Ukraine’s escalating conflict. According to a source from the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Morocco Telegraph, 3384 Moroccans were able to depart Ukrainian territory and proceed to nearby countries.

Moroccan citizens met staff of the Kingdom’s embassies in a number of countries to welcome them as soon as they entered the territory of neighboring countries. They were supervised on the spot by facilitating Moroccan citizens’ affairs in collaboration with the relevant states.

It will be noted that the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans living abroad assigned approximately 20 consular personnel, including four former general counsels, to support and assist the staff of Moroccan embassies on the ground in receiving and providing the required help to Moroccans in the four countries bordering Ukraine.

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According to a declaration collected by Morocco Telegraph of the Moroccan Ambassador to Hungary at the Zahony crossing point, and specifically at the train station from Ukraine, where many Moroccan students set foot at this border checkpoint.

Although since outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis, an embassy-level cell has indeed been established to facilitate the set of circumstances. Finding safe passageways to repatriate Moroccan citizens living in Ukraine is a top concern.

In this respect Her Excellency Ms. Karima Kabbaj added that the Embassy got in contact with Hungarian authorities in the hopes of allowing Moroccan citizens to cross the border without a visa. Following the Hungarian side’s approval, a five-person embassy staff was dispatched to the Hungarian-Ukrainian border crossing sites.

“The embassy staff is making it easier for citizens to cross the border and providing transportation to the nearest Hungarian city” Her Excellency told Morocco Telegraph.

The Embassy’s members engage with citizens and their families on a daily basis through emails and phone calls, and the mission has received hundreds of calls since Friday.

“The Embassy will make every effort to facilitate the evacuation of Moroccan citizens and their repatriation to their homes, in compliance with His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s honorable instructions.” Her Excellency said.

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Based on the preliminary Moroccan statistics according to reliable sources, 436 Moroccans were able to exit Ukraine via land border gates in a single day.

As shown by Moroccan authorities:

• 251 Moroccan citizens left Ukraine through four land border checkpoints between Ukraine and Romania,

• 130 Moroccans left Ukraine by road through Poland,

• 46 Moroccans nationals left Ukraine via Slovakia,

• Nine Moroccan citizen left across the Ukraine-Hungary border.

Many people falling into line at the waiting gates, at the land border gates, decelerated the evacuation of Moroccan students from Ukraine, so Moroccan authorities in Ukraine were urged to be patient and follow the rules.

Moroccan authorities, led by His Majesty King Mohammed VI commands, are bolstering humanitarian bridges to allow a safe passage for Moroccans fleeing Ukraine amid ongoing Russian military actions.

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The Kingdom of Morocco stated on Saturday that it was following the situation between the Russian Federation and Ukraine with concern.

As per a communiqué from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received by Morocco Telegraph, the Moroccan Kingdom reiterates its support for the territorial integrity and national unity of all United Nations Member States.

Morocco further reiterates its commitment to the principle of non-use of force in the settlement of international disputes and supports all efforts and measures that promote peaceful conflict resolution.

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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.

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Today, February 15, an Air Arabia flight bringing 99 Moroccan students from Ukraine arrived at Tangier’s Ibn Battuta airport.

Moroccans will also be repatriated from Ukraine through two flights operated by Royal Air Maroc.

Morocco has also set up two phone numbers for students and citizens in Ukraine to contact the Moroccan embassy.

According to reliable sources to Morocco Telegraph about the matter, the embassy had received around 4,000 phone calls as of February 14.

Around 250 calls were made using the two phone lines supplied by the embassy in its Saturday announcement.

Many Moroccan students have expressed concerns about being caught in the middle of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, urging that their colleges switch to remote study. “These concerns are taken seriously by us, and they have been discussed.” However, the pupils’ safety comes paramount for the time being, according to the sources.

According to reports, Russia has begun to remove troops from Ukraine’s borders, indicating that the situation is largely stable.

The Russian Defense Ministry indicated today, according to The Guardian, that it will remove part of its troops from the Ukrainian border in a “potential de-escalation” action. “The scale of the pullout is uncertain,” the Guardian wrote, “and it may only involve a proportion of Russia’s forces on the Ukrainian border, which western sources estimate to be more than 60% of the country’s ground forces.”

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