Melilla Port Chief Slams Morocco’s ’Deliberate Strategy’ in Summer Travel Crisis

According to Quevedo, passengers’ passports are stamped on the boat in order to avoid the long waits recorded at the Beni-Enzar border. "They defend their own, but we do not defend ours," lamented the president of the port authority, denouncing the inaction of the Spanish government in the face of what he considers to be unequal and harmful treatment for Melilla.

The official is concerned about the return phase of the Marhaba Operation, stressing that between July 15 and August 15, the Beni-Enzar border will record significant traffic of Moroccans from Europe in both directions, which could lead to traffic jams. If the border does not function normally, entire families will not be able to leave Melilla in 24 or 48 hours, Quevedo warned.

This year, the number of rotations has dropped from 21 to 12, a drastic reduction that could impact the speed of interventions in the event of an incident or delay. The activation of the special device will not be enough to guarantee greater fluidity of traffic at the border, Quevedo also stressed. "This year, we do not have any margin to relocate passengers."

Between January 1 and May 31, 300 additional passengers transited through the port of Melilla compared to the previous year. "This means we will have problems this summer. If someone wants to travel a week in advance, they won’t find a ticket," Quevedo warned. And he concluded: "They tell us that everything is fine, that the border is working and that Morocco is a wonderful partner. But it’s a joke..."