The answer to this questions is quite a difficult one. To date, non-essential travel is still not recommended given the current situation around the world and even in Mauritius. Following a significant drop in the number of COVID-19 cases around mid-April, a new spike has been observed in the past three weeks. Currently, Mauritius has more than 200 active cases of COVID-19 as the vaccination campaign hardly has any progress compared to other countries. Still, the government is looking to inoculate at least 40% of the population by the end of July and at least 60% by the end of September.
But what about the reopening of the Mauritian borders? To date, no official date has yet been announced due to the progression of the pandemic, even though they were expected to reopen by mid-2021. The second phase of deconfinement, which was scheduled for May 30, was extended until June 30. So while European countries are reopening their borders and families are planning their summer vacations, expats in Mauritius are kept in limbo.
Franck arrived in Mauritius from France in 2020 with his family, but he's currently wondering whether he can go back home on vacation before returning to Mauritius. "We would have loved to spend some time with our family in France in July", he says. But his biggest worry is whether they will be able to have a repatriation flight in early August, considering the number of people who are already awaiting repatriation and the limited number of flights and seats. "We don't want to take the risk of being stranded in France beyond mid-August so that our children don't miss the beginning of the school year. We also have to take into account the quarantine period on our arrival in Mauritius. Of course, it would help if the MTPA could update its website ”. In fact, Franck is already aware of all this as he was repatriated to Mauritius last year. But this time, things are going to be different since he and his wife have already had their two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
But for Gérard, who is also an expatriate in Mauritius, it's very unlikely that Franck makes it back to Mauritius on time. “For the moment, it seems that only two repatriation flights are planned in August, with priority after the Mauritians for the 'embassy staff' (officials, teachers, ...) who have to be present for the start of the school year at the end of August. With quarantine and self-isolation, count in three more weeks. I also think that the ticket prices will be high in addition to the quarantine fees”, he points out. Indeed, all passengers arriving in Mauritius are quarantined in a government-designated hotel facility.
For Guy, returning to France hasn't even been an issue since August 2019. This is frustrating, of course, but he prefers to wait at least until it's winter in Europe. “It's up to you, depending on what matters to you the most. For the moment, things look uncertain, so I can't help having doubts about travelling. Suppose a member of your family turns out COVID positive on return, then things will definitely be different, ”he warns. Peter and Chris, who are also expats in Mauritius, would rather wait a little longer. “We were thinking of travelling this summer but I think it's best to wait until we have more information. The return to Mauritius remains too big a question mark, so we will wait until the fall at least so that the situation, hopefully, improves, ”says Chris.
Pascale, an expat who was repatriated from France last year, warns that things are not as easy as they seem to be. “Places on repatriation flights (2 per month) are limited and very expensive. Keep in mind that after the euphoria of family reunions, you will have to deal with the stressful repatriation procedures”.
Currently, most embassies are updating their websites and Facebook pages regularly regarding repatriation flights and conditions. The UK, for example, requires its returning citizens to provide their journey and contact details before they travel and check whether they need to self-isolate. In case the flight to the UK includes a transit, they have to inquire about any travel bans. For those travelling to Ireland from Mauritius, a 14-day quarantine is mandatory at the address specified on their Passenger Locator Form.
In any case, make sure to gather all necessary information from your embassy and carrier and to pay close attention to health restrictions. Otherwise, you could be made to pay heavy fines.
