Morocco Delays Summer Return of Expatriates Until July Due to COVID-19

During a press conference, the Spanish Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, announced that the "Paso del Estrecho" operation will only take place after the authorization of the health authorities, reports the media El Faro-Ceuta. According to him, this is a very sensitive challenge taken up every year, particularly with Morocco and Algeria. For the occasion, various Spanish ministries as well as a Moroccan-Spanish joint commission are regularly in contact, are currently working on the operation and are analyzing all the possibilities to be considered.

According to the government member, this operation, which usually takes place during the June to October period, will not start this time in June, as the health guarantees cannot be provided at the moment, while these are essential for such a large-scale operation.

According to statistics from the Spanish authorities, each year, nearly 3 million Moroccan expatriates return to the country for the summer vacation. A large part of them prefer the vehicle as a means of transport, and therefore cross Spain before arriving at the ports of Algeciras or Tarifa for the crossing of the Strait. This operation requires a large organization on the part of the Spanish and Moroccan authorities due to the significant influx of travelers, it is noted. For the moment, no information has been communicated about the Marhaba 2020 operation.

To recall, a peak in arrivals was recorded on August 13 and 14, 2019, just before Eid al-Adha, a holiday that Moroccan expatriates generally prefer to celebrate with their loved ones. The peak of departures was recorded at the end of August, with nearly 35,000 passengers departing from Tanger Med alone.