Record-Breaking Marhaba 2025: Moroccan Exodus Surges as Spain-Morocco Traffic Soars

Launched on June 15, the 2025 Marhaba Operation is already breaking records. According to official data from the Directorate General of Civil Protection and Emergencies of the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, more than 348,000 people have crossed the Strait of Gibraltar since the start of the operation, in addition to about 89,000 vehicles, as reported by EFE. Compared to 2024, these figures represent an increase of 10.2% in the number of travelers and 10.8% in the number of vehicles. However, there is a decrease of around 9% in the number of maritime crossings.

The maritime link between the port of Tanger Med and the port of Algeciras is the most used during this operation. It alone represents about 47.3% of the total crossings. It is followed by the Algeciras - Ceuta line with 20.1%, then Almería - Nador with 10.7%, and Tarifa - Tanger Ville with 8.5%. This improvement should continue in the last days of July and the beginning of August, when a peak in traffic is expected. The Spanish authorities are already preparing for this. They have strengthened security coordination. They have also planned dedicated corridors for the Moroccan community, and set up shaded areas and medical supervision areas to cope with heat waves.