First repatriation flight from Morocco lands at Schiphol; 300 Dutch back in NL

The first repatriation flight from Morocco landed at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam at around 00:30 a.m. on Monday. The Boeing 767 of travel agency TUI departed from Casablanca on Sunday evening. There were around 300 Dutch aboard, according to AD.

The passengers on the first repatriation flight involved Netherlands residents with an urgent need to get home, such as people who need medicines or medical care.

Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs thanked the Moroccan authorities for allowing this flight and called the return of the first stranded Dutch "good news". "Thanks to the Moroccan authorities for the cooperation. We will continue to work hard to ensure that the other travelers also return home safely," Blok said on Twitter.

Around 2,700 more Dutch people are stranded in Morocco. They were in the country when it closed its borders to try and curb the spread of the coronavirus.