Morocco is gearing up for the organization of the Marhaba Operation 2021, after the cancellation of last year’s edition for health reasons. The authorities would opt for the passage of Moroccans living abroad by sea.
The local authorities in Ceuta seem less enthusiastic about opening the border to allow the organization of Operation Marhaba this year.
Pending the official announcement by Morocco and Spain of the organization of Operation Marhaba 2021, the Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras (APBA) is already preparing for its implementation under good conditions.
The Moroccan government wants to organize the Marhaba 2021 operation next summer. It has already informed the Spanish authorities.
The President of the Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras (APBA), Gerardo Landaluce, hopes that the Marhaba Operation will take place this year, despite the ongoing health crisis.
The port of Almeria, in southern Spain, was desperately empty between the months of June and September last year, a period during which many Moroccans residing abroad are in the habit of taking the boat to Morocco.
The port of Algeciras, the main Spanish port in terms of passenger numbers, has lost the majority of its traffic this year. The reason is the absence of Moroccans living abroad (MREs) .
The absence of port traffic in Algeciras, mainly due to the non-activation of the Marhaba operation dedicated to Moroccans residing abroad (MREs), has caused activity to drop by nearly 90%.
The Moroccan community in Asturias, the second largest, with some 3,000 inhabitants, has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
The mayor of Algeciras (Cádiz), José Ignacio Landaluce, announced that he will meet with Arancha González Laya, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, on various issues "of great interest to the city and the region", such as those related to the reopening of borders with Morocco and Brexit.
The first group of Moroccan seasonal workers stranded in Huelva, southern Spain, arrived on Sunday at the port of Tanger Med. This is about 1,200 people out of a total of 7,100 expected.
As part of the specific action plan to allow Moroccan citizens and foreign residents to return to Morocco, a first ship from the port of Sète in France has docked at the port of Nador.