Spain-Morocco Transit Ban Leaves Key Highway Deserted During Summer Travel Season

The A-1 road, usually used by MREs to return to Morocco during the summer, will be empty this year due to the cancellation of the Marhaba Operation by Morocco. The Basque government says it is "ready" to do everything to get Morocco to authorize the Transit Operation in order to increase the flow of traffic on the Basque road network.

To read: Spain-Morocco Travel Ban Hits Highway Businesses Hard

MREs from Europe are allowed to reach the kingdom via the ports of Sète in France and Genoa in Italy. "The Marhaba 2021 Operation will be carried out from the same maritime transit points as last year, in compliance with health measures. In addition to the PCR test presented at boarding, travelers will undergo another test on board to ensure maximum health safety for themselves and their loved ones."

Travelers from all European Union countries except Lithuania are allowed to come to Morocco. The Moroccan government has established a list of authorized (list A) and unauthorized (list B) countries, updated every two weeks.

In addition, Royal Air Maroc (RAM), on the instructions of King Mohammed VI, has offered low-cost tickets to facilitate the return of a large number of MREs during the summer period. In this sense, the national company has launched 11 new lines connecting Moroccan cities to major European cities.