A traveler from the UK faced deportation from Morocco because Ryanair personnel allegedly denied her access to retrieve her passport from her seat on the plane. Upon arriving in Marrakesh, Rebecca McCurry realized she had left her passport on the aircraft. Despite her immediate acknowledgment of the oversight, she was prevented from reboarding to retrieve it. Allegedly, Ryanair staff claimed they had thoroughly searched the plane but did not find the passport. However, passengers on the return flight later discovered the passport exactly where Rebecca left it.
Rebecca, who suffers from chronic pain, described a distressing encounter with border police, where she reportedly fainted multiple times due to stress. After a lengthy interrogation, she was left at a fast-food restaurant and eventually deported to Manchester Airport after an ordeal lasting 11 hours. It took an additional month of effort for Rebecca to recover her passport, prompting her to caution others about the importance of safeguarding essential documents during travel.
Rebecca recounted the lack of cooperation and intimidating behavior she experienced during the interrogation, emphasizing her struggle due to chronic pain. Eventually, she claimed to have fabricated contact with an immigration lawyer to expedite her return to the UK. Despite the challenging situation, Rebecca’s passport was eventually located by friends on the returning flight to Edinburgh, alleviating some of the stress. However, retrieving the passport from Ryanair proved to be a cumbersome process, requiring personal intervention and a fee.
Ryanair acknowledged the incident, stating that the passenger had misplaced her passport on the flight, resulting in denial of entry into Morocco. The airline confirmed the proper procedures were followed, and the passenger was accommodated on the next available flight back to the UK. Ryanair reiterated the importance of passengers carrying valid travel documents and assured that lost property, including the passport, was handed over to the respective airport authorities.
Efforts to obtain a comment from the Office National des Aroports in Morocco were unsuccessful.