Ceuta Prepares for 1 Million Moroccan Expats in 2023 Border Crossing

"This year, nearly 800,000 MRE will pass through Ceuta and in 2023 they will be around one million," warned Gonzalo Sanz, the official in charge of coordinating the Marhaba Operation in Ceuta, stressing the need to improve the flow management system implemented this year in order to facilitate the passage of MRE at the Tarajal border "without affecting the daily life of the inhabitants of Ceuta."

During a press conference held on Tuesday with the national police chief, Javier Nogueroles, and the lieutenant colonel of the Civil Guard, José María Jiménez, Sanz announced that a significant flow of MRE is still expected this weekend. According to estimates, "more than 3,000 vehicles" will arrive in the autonomous city every 24 hours during this period when the outward phase ends and the return phase of the Marhaba Operation begins.

To manage the flow, the government delegation could force the three companies operating on the Ceuta-Algeciras (Cadiz) maritime line to exchange tickets on specific days during the month of August to facilitate the transit of MRE. This year, the flow of MRE arriving in Ceuta from Algeciras has increased considerably due to the policy of maritime companies that have doubled their fares on direct routes to Morocco.