Record-Breaking Crowds Expected as Spain-Morocco Crossings Surge

The number of vehicles is also increasing, with 246,694 vehicles, an increase of 7% compared to 2022. The ports of Algeciras (Cádiz) alone absorb nearly 71% of the outgoing traffic to Tangier and Ceuta.

The Operation concerns many ports, including those of Algeciras, Tarifa, Málaga, Motril, Almería, Alicante, Valencia, Ceuta and Melilla. But it is in Algeciras that the bulk of the traffic is concentrated, with 60.1% of the vehicles leaving from Algeciras and 10.8% from Tarifa. On arrival, the most solicited ports are Tanger-Med (43.3%), Tanger Ville (10.8%) and Ceuta (17.4%).

And already the returns

Since the start of the Marhaba operation, 123,957 people have returned to Spain from Morocco, an increase of 9.6% compared to the same period last year. Health and social assistance has been made available to passengers in need, with 660 health interventions and 2,234 social interventions to date, the Spanish government said in a statement.

The upcoming weekend, July 29, 30 and 31 and August 1, is expected to be busy, being identified as one of the peak attendance periods under the Operation. To cope with this increase in attendance, the special plan provides for the exchange of tickets to facilitate boarding. Travelers are also advised to anticipate their trips and, if possible, use alternative routes to reach Algeciras.

The security of this operation is ensured by more than 19,000 agents deployed by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior. In addition to security, preventive and public health protection measures are in place to ensure the well-being of travelers. The 34th edition of the Strait Crossing Operation, which will last until September 15, involves a multitude of organizations and institutions in Spain, including the Directorate General of the Merchant Navy, the Directorate General of Traffic, the Meteorological Agency, the Directorate General of Public Health, and the Red Cross, among others.