Spain Allocates €26 Million to Aid Moroccan Diaspora’s Summer Return

The Marhaba Operation has resumed this year, after two years of suspension due to the health crisis and diplomatic tensions between Spain and Morocco. For this unprecedented edition, more than three million MREs and 700,000 vehicles are expected in the Spanish ports, especially those of Algeciras and Tarifa, from where they will join Morocco.

The Royal Decree-Law 6/2022 of March 29, adopted to address the economic and social consequences of the war in Ukraine, has reduced the retail selling price of petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel A, diesel A+ and biodiesel. A reduction of 0.20 euros per liter applied in all Spanish service stations, reports El Cierre Digital.

The application of this measure, which also benefits the MREs transiting through Spain, will cost the country more than 13 million euros for the month of July alone. For 700,000 vehicles with an average tank of 70 liters, which refuel every 1,000 kilometers or more when crossing Spain, 9.8 million euros are consumed. To this must be added 3.5 million euros for the consumption of vehicles from France and Portugal.

In addition to these 13 million euros that the Spanish state will have to spend for the transit of MREs to Morocco, it will have to plan the same amount for the return of the latter to their countries of residence in Europe, which makes a total of around 26.6 million euros. These figures only concern the Marhaba Operation and do not take into account the movements of thousands of German, French, Dutch and British tourists who travel through Spain in caravans during these summer months.