Woman was deported ‘five minutes’ into holiday after leaving passport on plane
A tourist ended up with a travel experience from hell when she was deported just 'minutes' after arriving at her destination.
Rebecca McCurry had flown out to Marrakesh in July for a holiday with three friends, but mistakenly left her passport on the plane after they landed.
The 22-year-old said she realised the error 'within five minutes' of getting off the aircraft, and asked if she could go and retrieve the essential document.
After 'sweeping the plane' for the passport, Ryanair staff reportedly said that they couldn't find it.
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Rebecca, from Lochgilphead in Scotland, suffers from chronic pain and said that she 'passed out' multiple times during an interrogation with border police.
In a shocking development, they reportedly said that she may have to wait up to five days for a return flight to Edinburgh, even though the plane she had arrived on was still at the airport, with Rebecca also claiming that they 'laughed' at her.
Finally, when her passport could not be recovered Rebecca was put on a flight straight back to the UK, though to Manchester not to Edinburgh where she had departed.
"They deported me to Manchester and my dad drove six hours to come and get me," she said.
And in a twist of irony, Rebecca knew someone who was getting the return flight to Edinburgh.
While the plane staff couldn't find it, her friend was quickly able to retrieve the passport. However, they were reportedly not allowed to keep hold of it.
"It was exactly where I left it," she said. "I told them to just keep a hold of it. But Ryanair staff took it off them.
"Then I spent over a month trying to get in touch with them - in the end I had to go to the airport myself and pay 30 pounds to get my passport back."
Despite trying, Rebecca said she's also been unable to lodge a complaint with Ryanair.
"Everywhere you go to make a complaint takes you to a dead end," she said.
"I've tried chatbots, emails, everything. I don't know anyone who has successfully got through to Ryanair.
"If you have a bad experience with them, there's absolutely nothing the customer can do.
"They've messed up a lot. There is a protocol - they are supposed to do a plane sweep."
As a result of her ordeal, Rebecca said that she now doesn't like the idea of flying.
She said: "Overall, [the experience] has made me extremely anxious. And it has made me really scared about flying again.
"Recently I got on a plane for a trip, hoping to face my fear. But I was terrified - I kept thinking about being deported."
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."
LADbible has contacted the Office National des Aéroports in Morocco.
Kit Roberts