Ferry Companies Hike Prices as Moroccan Expats Return Home, Sparking Outrage

MREs are complaining about this unjustified increase in boat ticket prices, at a time when they have to return to their countries of residence, as part of the return phase of the Marhaba Operation. This increase is explained by the lack of Moroccan maritime companies and the absence of state regulation, explains Ali Zobeiri, president of the Euro-Moroccan Observatory of Migration, to the Al3omk website.

The Spanish maritime companies that dominate this market are taking advantage of the MREs’ return period to inflate prices, while they had offered affordable prices during the outward phase of the Transit Operation, denounces Zobeiri, calling on the Moroccan authorities to promote investment in this sector and to quickly find a solution to this problem, in collaboration with the Spanish authorities.

According to data from the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, 1.9 million MREs and 447,000 vehicles traveled from Morocco to Spain and vice versa between June 5 and August 15, as part of the Marhaba Operation. In detail, about 1.33 million MREs and 317,000 vehicles entered Morocco from Europe, and nearly 570,000 MREs and 130,000 vehicles left Morocco for Europe.