Almeria Port Sees 9.9% Drop in Moroccan Diaspora Travel During Summer Operation

More precisely, 514,225 Moroccans residing abroad (MREs) passed through the port of Almeria, going and returning to and from Morocco, as part of the Marhaba Operation, i.e. 9.9% less than in 2019. The outward phase saw an 18.4% drop compared to 2019 while the return phase recorded a slight increase of 0.6%, reports La Voz de Almeria.

In detail, more than 280,000 MREs traveled between the ports of Almeria and Nador over these three months, which represents nearly 60% of the total passenger traffic of the Spanish port. More than 157,000 traveled between Melilla and Almería and the rest of the traffic comes from the Algerian ports of Oran (a little over 23,000) and Ghazaouet (a little over 12,000).

The Marhaba Operation this year was a success, according to the Port Authority of Almeria (APA), noting that no major problems were recorded in the course of the Operation. Waiting times at the port of Almeria were not long and the shipping companies Trasmediterránea, Baleària and GNV ensured the link with Nador during the Operation.

To manage this significant flow of passengers, the APA allocated more than half a million euros to strengthen the infrastructure, personnel and cleaning and maintenance services. In total, 25 control cameras as well as charging sockets for phones were installed in the maritime station, not to mention the pre-boarding information system, etc.