Morocco activated a broad social support network for this Sunday’s Strait Crossing Operation (OPE). Although vehicular traffic between Spain and Morocco began on June 15, the measures announced indicate a sustained mobilization designed to assist travelers across the crossing and beyond.
According to the Mohamed V Solidarity Foundation, which leads the operation’s coordination, 17 rest stops have been prepared in Morocco and across several countries. European partners, including the principal Mediterranean ports of Tangier-Med, Tangier-Ville, Al Hoceima, and Nador, will host incoming travelers and provide essential services as they transition through the Strait of Gibraltar.
Additional reception areas have been set up in Almería, Algeciras, and Motril in Spain, with further facilities in Sète (France) and Genoa (Italy) to support arrivals and the flow of people between continents.
Interior sources report that the official launch of the operation is scheduled for June 15, with peak activity anticipated during the Lamb Festival on July 8 and 9, and over the final weekend of the month as the holiday period reaches its height.
During a recent update, José Pachecho, the Government’s sub-delegate in Cádiz, noted a rise in passenger numbers compared with prior editions, projecting a healthy increase within a margin of roughly 10 percent.
Starting this Sunday, the Moroccan Foundation has mobilized more than 1,000 doctors, social workers, and volunteers. Their mission is to provide social and medical support to passengers at rest stops and aboard ships, ensuring aid is readily available where it is most needed.
OPE, known as Operation Marhaba (Welcome), has been organizing seasonal, round-trip crossings since 1986 for Moroccan nationals traveling from European countries to North Africa in the summer. It stands as one of the largest human mobilizations between continents in a short period, reflecting the deep ties and sustained movement that define this corridor. In 2019, the last year with a full OPE operation including Spanish ports, approximately 3,340,045 passengers and 760,215 vehicles crossed the Strait of Gibraltar by sea between Morocco and Spain [Source: Moroccan government statements].
This year, Morocco plans to deploy 32 ferries with a total of 571 weekly sailings, linking ports in Spain, France, and Italy. The operation is designed to accommodate a capacity of about 478,000 passengers and 123,000 cars, reflecting a concerted effort to manage high volumes of travelers during peak periods.
During the operation, 23 ferry services will operate, with 14 of them covering the main Tanger-Med to Algeciras route. These lines connect the Maghreb with Spain and account for roughly 95 percent of passenger traffic. Two ships are dedicated to freight transport to support commercial movement alongside passenger service.
Altogether, these ships will facilitate 47 daily voyages, delivering capacity for about 40,000 passengers and 11,000 vehicles, representing a notable increase of around 4 percent over the 2019 level as the region reopens to travelers after prior disruptions.
It should be noted that in 2020 and 2021, the Moroccan government restricted returns to Moroccan migrants to ships operating from French ports such as Marseille and Sète, as well as the Italian port of Genoa, in response to public health concerns. In contrast, last April 12, sea connections between Algeciras and Tarifa and the Tanger-Med and Tanger-Ville routes resumed activities after more than two years of suspension, reestablishing critical links for residents and visitors alike. Likewise, the land borders between Spain and Morocco were reopened in Ceuta and Melilla after closures tied to the pandemic and bilateral tensions, enabling renewed travel and commerce across these crossing points. For travelers and logistics operators, the coordinated reopening marks another milestone in the long-standing cross-border relationship between the two nations and their European partners [Attribution: official government and port authority reports].