Bouches-du-Rhône: for lack of a health pass, the staff of a McDonald’s turned away Ukrainian refugees

A resident of Bouches-du-Rhône offered his help to welcome a Ukrainian family fleeing the Russian bombardments in Kharkiv. Upon arrival, the refugees were turned away from a McDonald’s restaurant.

After 21 hours on the road

Since the start of the Russian invasion in Ukrainemore than 2.5 million refugees Ukrainians fled the country. A family, made up of deaf parents, including a pregnant woman, and their 4-year-old child, decided to flee Kharkiv. A resident of Bouches-du-Rhone offered her help to welcome them before she was taken care of by a volunteer in Marseille. The refugees were thus to join this inhabitant at the McDonald’s d’Aix en Provence in order to eat after a 21 hour drive on Sunday March 13.

Staff responded curtly

Upon their arrival, these people were refused access to the restaurant McDonald’s at Aix en Provence. “I knew they didn’t have a health pass so I asked if they could still come in.“, explained the resident to News Marseille. According to him, the 8-month-pregnant woman wanted to go to the bathroom. And the family also wanted to eat something after this long trip. He did not expect the reaction of the fast-food staff, who replied curtly that the refugees could not access the restaurant for lack of sanitary pass. “It’s so ridiculous“, he reacted.

McDonald’s justified its decision

These facts, which have gone around social networks, have created controversy. The association MarsUkraine regretted this”inhumanity” on Twitter. The sign McDonald’s justified its decision on Tuesday 15 March. “Like all restaurants, we are forced to ensure strict compliance with the health protocol which required until Monday the presentation of the vaccination pass for indoor catering.“, she clarified. To apologize to the Ukrainian family, McDonald’s offered their “offer a meal on the next visit“.

> See our file on the crisis in Ukraine

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