Hong Kong residents stranded in Morocco to leave the country on chartered flight arranged by Chinese Embassy in Morocco
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     A Government spokesman announced today (April 8) that to assist Chinese citizens stranded in Morocco to leave there, the Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of Morocco (Chinese Embassy in Morocco) will arrange a chartered flight to bring the Chinese citizens, including 27 Hong Kong residents, back home. The chartered flight is scheduled to depart at 4pm on April 9, local time (11pm on April 9, Hong Kong time) from Casablanca to Guangzhou. The cost will be borne by the passengers.
      
     Morocco has been in a state of national emergency since early March, imposing strict restrictions on all marine, land and air traffic. As a result, Hong Kong residents in Morocco cannot depart there on their own through normal flight arrangement.  After receiving requests for assistance from the affected Hong Kong residents, the Security Bureau and the Immigration Department (ImmD) have contacted the Chinese Embassy in Morocco and the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and has been taking actions on multiple fronts, including actively liaising with several airlines to secure flight bookings for the affected Hong Kong residents to leave Morocco and return to Hong Kong via other places.
      
     As at noon today, the ImmD has received assistance requests from 158 Hong Kong residents concerning the home passage from Morocco. Among them, 113 people have already returned to Hong Kong on different flights. Forty-five people who have sought assistance are still in Morocco. They are scattered in Casablanca, Marrakesh and other six cities. Among those Hong Kong residents still in Morocco, 18 will not take the chartered flight to leave there because of personal preference or other reasons. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will actively follow up with the Chinese Embassy in Morocco and a number of airlines to make every effort to assist the return of the stranded Hong Kong residents via other possible means.
      
     To assist Chinese citizens stranded in Morocco to leave there, the Chinese Embassy in Morocco will arrange a chartered flight to bring back the Chinese citizens, including 27 Hong Kong residents. The chartered flight will depart from Casablanca on April 9, local time and is estimated to arrive in Guangzhou by noon of April 10. As required under enhanced in-bound health management on the Mainland, all air passengers are required to undergo local 14-day isolation for medical surveillance. The said requirement is also applicable to passengers on board the chartered flight to Guangzhou.

Ends/Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Issued at HKT 22:01

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