Chaos at Spanish Port Delays Moroccan Diaspora’s Eid Homecoming

Moroccans residing abroad (MRE) are having trouble returning to Morocco from Spain to celebrate Eid al-Adha and see their loved ones. The cause is poor organization of the Marhaba operation by the Spanish port authorities and those of the port of Algeciras. The latter have only granted one lane for access to the ferries serving the port of Tanger Med, and adopted a very slow control method. As a result, on the ground, there are many disruptions, including the long queues designated for boarding the ferries departing from the Spanish port to the port of Tanger-Med, reports Al Ahdath Al Maghribia. Drivers and passengers are forced to advance slowly on long queues of several tens of meters.

To these malfunctions is added another major problem: the absence of Moroccan agents responsible for guiding passengers at the port of Algesiras and facilitating communication in Arabic between members of the diaspora and the port authorities. A real difficulty for MREs from countries other than Spain. These difficulties have also caused the irritation of several passengers. But the Spanish port authorities have not, for the moment, provided them with solutions. If nothing is done, the situation could worsen as Eid al-Adha approaches, when Morocco is expecting a massive return of MREs.

As for the MREs who are about to board for the port of Ceuta, they do not encounter these difficulties. The queue is clearly better organized, and the boarding procedure is fluid.