Morocco is one of the few countries that have not set up a repatriation plan for its nationals stranded abroad amid the coronavirus lockdown. The United Arab Emirates has threatened to impose restrictions on countries that refuse to receive their nationals. While several countries are trying to curb the spread of the coronavirus and navigate the crisis that it brought, the United Arab Emirates expressed its frustration with countries refusing to repatriate their nationals stuck on its territory. On April 6, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation said that it is planning to «restructure its cooperation and labour relations with countries refusing to receive their nationals working in the UAE private sector», wrote Gulf News, quoting an official source from the ministry. The new restrictions include imposing a «quota system on recruitment operations» of nationals from these countries and «suspending memoranda of understanding (MoU) signed between the ministry and concerned authorities in these countries», it added. Moroccans stranded in the UAE The same source revealed that these restrictions were discussed after several countries have refused to receive their citizens who want to go back to their countries either «because they (citizens) are taking early leave or because their services have been terminated in light of the current circumstances». The same source called all countries of «foreign workers in the UAE to be responsible for their nationals wishing to return to their countries». The initiative was launched earlier in April by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation in cooperation and coordination with the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Civil Aviation Authority and the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA). For the record, thousands of Moroccans working in the private sector are affected by the «humanitarian initiative» launched by the government of the United Arab Emirates. While Tunisia has set up a repatriation program for its nationals with the company Emirates, Morocco has not yet made any plans. Worse, this sensitive issue is added to the calls of thousands of Moroccans who have remained stranded abroad for weeks.
