A British traveler was expelled from Morocco following an incident where she was allegedly denied access to retrieve her passport from her seat on a Ryanair flight. Rebecca McCurry, accompanied by three friends, realized she had left her passport on the plane upon arriving in Marrakesh. Despite her immediate recognition of the oversight, she claimed she was not permitted to return to the aircraft to retrieve it. Ryanair personnel informed her that the passport was not found during a search of the plane. However, passengers on a subsequent flight discovered the passport exactly where she had left it.
The tourist, who deals with chronic pain, recounted experiencing multiple episodes of passing out due to the stressful and intimidating interrogation by border police. Despite the arriving plane still being present on the runway, she was informed that she might have to wait for a deportation flight to Edinburgh for up to five days. After enduring three hours of questioning, Rebecca was left waiting in a fast-food restaurant before being deported to Manchester Airport, where her father drove six hours to collect her.
Following the ordeal in July, it took Rebecca an additional month of persistent efforts to recover her passport in August. She shared her harrowing experience to caution others about the importance of safeguarding essential travel documents to prevent being barred from re-entry onto a plane. Rebecca emphasized the need for vigilance, stating that even a momentary lapse in retaining one’s passport can lead to significant consequences.
Ryanair acknowledged that the passenger had misplaced her passport onboard and was consequently denied entry into the destination country. A Ryanair spokesperson clarified that the airline follows strict protocols regarding travel documentation requirements, emphasizing the individual responsibility of passengers to possess valid documents. The lost passport was eventually returned to the traveler through the airport’s lost and found office.
The Office National des Aroports in Morocco was contacted for a statement regarding the incident.