A British woman was sent back home shortly after starting her vacation due to a significant oversight during her trip to Morocco.
Rebecca McCurry had just reached Marrakesh along with her three friends when she realized she had forgotten her passport on the aircraft.
The 22-year-old noticed her oversight within ‘five minutes’ of disembarking, but claims she was not permitted to return to the plane to retrieve it.
Ryanair staff reportedly informed her that after conducting a search of the plane, they found nothing – although the budget airline later stated that the passenger ‘misplaced their passport on board’.
“Immediately after I got off the plane, I realized I had left my passport on my seat,” Rebecca said. “Keeping my passport on me is my responsibility, obviously. But I was away from it for five minutes before I realized.”
She continued: “I told a member of airport staff and they said it wasn’t a problem, and they’d let the people from Ryanair know.”
“I said I was happy to get it myself, but they wouldn’t let me back on the plane.”
After being informed that her passport was missing, Rebecca was taken away for three hours of interrogation.
The Brit continued: “I was taken away to be questioned by four male policemen.
“They were not being nice. They were being intimidating, laughing at me. They kept calling me ‘little girl’.
Rebecca was informed by officials that she would soon be deported, but not on a flight back to Edinburgh, and might have to wait up to five days for it.
“I didn’t understand because the plane I arrived on – which was going back to Edinburgh – was still sat on the runway after nearly two hours,” Rebecca added.
“After about three hours, they left me at this fast food place – like a Moroccan KFC. They offered me chicken, which I can’t eat because I’m a vegetarian.”
To avoid an extended detention, Rebecca fabricated a story about consulting an immigration lawyer, prompting authorities to put her on a plane ‘immediately’.
The Scot was eventually sent back to Manchester, where her father drove six hours to retrieve her.
Fortunately, Rebecca knew someone on the return flight to Edinburgh, who was able to recover her passport from the aircraft.
A Ryanair spokesperson stated: “This passenger misplaced their passport onboard their flight from Edinburgh to Marrakesh on the 31 July and subsequently was denied entry into Marrakesh.
“As requested by Marrakesh authorities, Ryanair reaccommodated this passenger onto the next available flight to the UK later that day.
“All passengers travelling with Ryanair must present the correct travel documentation for the country of destination as determined by that country, however it is each passenger’s responsibility to carry valid travel documents.
“In this case the passenger was required to present a passport upon arrival at Marrakesh Airport which they failed to do, and they were correctly denied entry to the country.
“Ryanair hands over all lost property to the lost and found office at each airport. Once the crew located this passenger’s passport, this passenger’s passport was handed over to lost property at Edinburgh Airport.”
The Office National des Aéroports in Morocco was contacted for comment.