Featured Image Credit: Kennedy
Topics: Travel
Callum Jones
A British woman was deported just minutes into her vacation after making a major mistake while traveling to Morocco.
Rebecca McCurry had just arrived in Marrakesh with three friends when she discovered she had left her passport on the plane.
The 22-year-old realized her mistake within 'five minutes' of leaving the aircraft, but claims she was not allowed to go back aboard to retrieve it.
Ryanair staff reportedly told her that after 'sweeping the plane' they had recovered nothing - though the budget airline later said that the passenger 'misplaced their passport on board'.
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"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."
Upon being told her passport was nowhere to be seen, Rebecca was taken awake for three hours of questioning.
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 told by officials that she would soon be deported, but not on a flight back to Edinburgh. Furthermore, she would potentially have to wait five days for it too.
"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."
The stress, she claims, was so much that she 'passed out multiple times'. To avoid waiting up to five days in detention, Rebecca made up that she had spoken to an immigration lawyer, which made authorities put her on a plane 'immediately'.
The Scot was ultimately deported to Manchester, where her dad drove six hours to pick her up.
Thankfully, Rebecca knew someone on the return flight back to Edinburgh, who was able to retrieve her passport from the plane.
A spokesperson for Ryanair said: "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 were contacted for comment.