Moroccan Diaspora Return: Malaga Port Sees Surge in Travelers for Marhaba 2022

After two years of cancellation, the Marhaba Operation has resumed this year, to the delight of Moroccans residing abroad (MREs), especially in Europe. The port of Malaga has prepared to welcome nearly 100,000 travelers and more than 20,000 vehicles as part of this operation, which started on June 15 and ends on September 15. In one week, 2,900 MREs and 627 vehicles have already transited through this port, reports Malaga Hoy.

"We are very happy to see the family again after more than two years," says Yassine Alouafi, an MRE from Germany, who arrived in Malaga on Thursday, accompanied by his brother, sister-in-law and two nieces. Jalal El Geroudi, residing in Seville, also expresses his joy at taking the boat to Morocco, even though he has traveled to the kingdom by plane several times over the past two years. "By plane, it costs me about 500 euros one way. By boat, for my father, the car and me, it will cost us about 200 euros. It’s much cheaper," he explains.

The sub-delegate of the government in Malaga, Javier Salas, warned that a larger influx of MREs is expected from early July, due to the Feast of the Lamb (Eid al-Adha) scheduled for July 9. According to the estimates, he recalled, passenger traffic will increase by 50% this year compared to 2019, the last year the Transit Operation was organized.