Melilla Prepares for Influx of Moroccan Expats During Marhaba 2023 Return Phase

Since June 15, thousands of Moroccans residing abroad (MREs) have joined Morocco via Melilla as part of Operation Marhaba. Over these two months, significant flows of MREs with or without vehicles have been recorded at the Beni-Enzar border, sometimes causing massive traffic jams. Travelers were forced to wait up to nine hours before crossing the border into Morocco, reports Melilla Hoy.

For Jesús Ruiz Barranco, general secretary of the Unified Police Union (SUP) of Melilla, this year’s Operation Marhaba is better than last year, which was "a disaster because there was no staff," recalling having denounced this situation. Only four or five police officers were deployed at the border posts, compared to 8 to 10 police officers this year. "This year, it’s different. It seems that the police and the government have taken into account our claims and our complaints," he said.

The real problem of the lack of security personnel in Operation Marhaba is explained by the fact that most of the police officers "are on vacation" during this period, explains the general secretary of the SUP of Melilla, who expects a massive flow of MREs during the return phase of the Operation. But, he assures, "we will continue to do our job and we will try to do it with the best guarantees of security and agility".