Algeciras Port Traffic Plummets 90% as Moroccan Diaspora Travel Halts

It was predictable and it is now confirmed in the figures. The port in southern Spain has lost 87.79% of its embarkations due to the cancellation of the Marhaba 2020 operation. This operation was mainly organized by Morocco and Spain and allowed traffic between the two countries to flow smoothly.

Thus, between the months of January and July last year, 209,465 passengers made the journey between Algeciras and Tanger Med, while in the same period last year 601,528 had already crossed the border.

The port of Tarifa, located about twenty kilometers from Algeciras, has also been heavily impacted by the suspension of maritime links. Between January and July last year, only 24,175 cars had been able to board between the two ports, compared to 102,846 a year earlier, a drop of 76.49%. This port, it should be remembered, is connected to Tangier-ville only by fast ferries.

Nevertheless, the shipping companies, including AML, Trasmediterranea, Balearias or FRS, hope that the links will be restored before the end of the year, a period during which a large number of Moroccans of the world travel to Morocco. With the coronavirus figures constantly increasing in recent days, it is highly likely that this reopening will be postponed again.