Morocco's Diaspora Homecoming Surge: 3.2 Million Return in Record-Breaking Summer
More than 3.2 million Moroccans residing abroad (MRE) participated in the Marhaba 2025 Operation, an increase of 7% compared to the previous year.
Between June 10 and September 15, 2025, more than 3.2 million MRE and 739,000 vehicles joined Morocco as part of the Marhaba Operation, representing an increase of 7% and 6% respectively compared to 2024. This performance is explained by a clear improvement in transit conditions thanks to mandatory reservations and strengthened port organization, said Abdessamad Kayouh, the Minister of Transport and Logistics, in Rabat on Wednesday, who gave a very positive assessment of this year’s edition.
In total, thirteen maritime lines operated all summer, connecting four Moroccan ports (Tanger Med, Tanger Ville, Nador and Al Hoceima) to nine European cities such as Algeciras, Marseille, Barcelona or Genoa. Twenty-nine ships meeting international safety standards ensured the crossings. But the big novelty is the obligation to book your ticket in advance and keep it before entering the port of Tanger Med. According to the minister, this system has "greatly improved the fluidity of flows" and avoided the usual traffic jams during peak periods.
The figures show that Tanger Med remains the preferred port of the MRE, with 1.8 million passengers and 463,000 cars. But it is Tanger Ville and Nador that are experiencing the strongest growth. 750,000 MRE and 117,000 vehicles transited through the former, an increase of 12%, while Nador welcomed 617,000 MRE and 148,000 vehicles, also up 12%. The port of Al Hoceima also saw its traffic increase by 5%, with 48,000 passengers. The minister praised the "exemplary mobilization" of all the actors (police, gendarmerie, port authorities and the Mohammed V Foundation) who contributed to the smooth running of the operation.
For Abdessamad Kayouh, the success of this edition is due to the "responsible adherence" of Moroccans in Europe to the reservation system. He wants to strengthen communication around this system throughout the year so that this habit becomes firmly established. For the next editions, the objective is to make transit more fluid for the MRE who wish to spend their summer holidays in the kingdom.
