Massive Delays at Melilla-Morocco Border as Marhaba 2023 Operation Begins

The traffic jam was monstrous on Sunday at the Beni Enzar border. Moroccans from Europe were numerous to wait in their vehicles, in the long line, to enter Morocco. Despite the increase in the number of vehicles compared to the first days of the Marhaba Operation, the passage of Moroccan travelers took place in "order", reports El Faro de Melilla, specifying that the MREs were waiting on parking lots, before crossing the border.

According to the agents of the State security and law enforcement bodies, the Sunday morning went "calmly". Melilla hopes to welcome more MREs compared to last year. According to the forecasts of the authorities of the autonomous city, 400,000 Moroccan travelers are expected. The Spanish Ministry of the Interior has deployed more than 19,000 agents throughout Spain to ensure the safety of MREs during the traffic.

Moha arrived on Sunday from Tarragona and, as every summer, chose to go through Melilla to visit his family in Morocco. Tayeb, for his part, left Barcelona with his wife to celebrate Eid al-Adha with his family in Morocco. "The trip was calm and everything is fine, but we have been waiting here for more than an hour," Tayeb lamented. Habib, from Almeria, also denounces the waiting time at the border.

"We know there are a lot of people and it takes time," also regret Rachid, Yasmina and their daughters who left Dortmund, Germany to celebrate Eid with their loved ones in Morocco. They haven’t visited the kingdom since the Covid-19 pandemic. At the border, a passage has also been provided for Melilla residents wishing to go to Morocco.