The ports of Algeciras and Tarifa, which concentrate more than 70% of maritime traffic with Moroccan ports, will reap an estimated profit of 500 million euros from this year’s Marhaba Operation.
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior has authorized on Tuesday the start of preparations for the organization of the Operation Marhaba 2022 . Thus, Moroccans in Europe will be able to travel to Morocco this summer via Spanish ports.
After the announcement of the reopening of the maritime borders with Morocco and the "immediate and gradual" return of the suspended maritime passenger traffic since March 2020, the Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras (APBA) is asking that actions follow words.
The president of the Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras (APBA), Gerardo Landaluce, held a meeting with the various port stakeholders to finalize the preparation of the Marhaba Operation.
Awaited for more than two years by Moroccans residing abroad, entry into Morocco is now possible by sea via Spain. However, provisional conditions are in place.
It is now official. Following the visit of the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchez, to Morocco, it was decided to immediately restore the maritime links between Morocco and Spain. Moroccans living abroad will therefore be able to travel to Morocco via Spain by boat this year.
The ports of Algeciras and Tarifa, through which the majority of Moroccans in Europe pass to reach their country in the summer as part of Operation Marhaba, are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the resumption of maritime links with Morocco, after the visit of Pedro Sanchez to Rabat this Thursday.
Moroccans residing in Andalusia are happy since the announcement of the upcoming resumption of Operation Marhaba, the 2020 and 2021 editions of which had been canceled by Morocco due to the health crisis and tensions with Spain.
Pending an official decision, companies are preparing for the reopening of Moroccan maritime borders with Ceuta and Melilla and for the Marhaba Operation dedicated to MREs.
The president of the Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras (APBA), Gerardo Landaluce, hopes that the upcoming visit to Morocco of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, scheduled for April 1, will consecrate the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries, as many interests are at stake.
The warming of relations between Spain and Morocco could favor the reopening of the Moroccan maritime borders with Ceuta and Melilla, and therefore the Marhaba Operation dedicated to Moroccans Residing Abroad. This is in fact one of the topics that will be on the agenda of the discussions between the head of Spanish diplomacy who will make a working visit to Rabat on April 1st and his Moroccan counterpart.
The port of Algeciras is eagerly awaiting the reopening of maritime borders with Morocco, now that Spain’s change of position on the Sahara has opened a "new stage" in the relationship between the two countries.