Operation Marhaba 2026 is taking shape following a meeting of the Moroccan-Spanish joint committee in Tangier. The meeting was co-chaired by Khalid Zerouali, Wali and Director of Immigration and Border Control at the Ministry of the Interior, along with Virginia Barcones Sanz, Secretary General for Civil Protection and Emergency Situations at Spain’s Ministry of the Interior.
This meeting aimed to finalize the initial details for an operation that manages the largest seasonal movement of people between Europe and North Africa each summer.
The operation leverages insights from previous campaigns, reaffirming the Strait as a critical mobility corridor between continents during the season.
In 2025, over 3.57 million passenger journeys and approximately 850,000 vehicles were recorded crossing the Strait, with peak traffic occurring during the summer’s mid-weeks. This consistent pattern will serve as a benchmark for the planning of 2026.
The primary focus remains on institutional coordination between Spain and Morocco. The collaborative structure, composed of the Ministries of the Interior, Transport, and Civil Protection along with port authorities, forms the operational backbone of the plan, aimed at achieving consolidated traffic management in the Strait, especially during peak times.
The second focus is on port and maritime logistics. Key ports such as Algeciras and Tangier Med will again manage the bulk of the cross-traffic, necessitating enhancements in boarding capacity, ferry frequency, and passenger information systems. Insights from previous years have underscored the importance of real-time management to mitigate congestion.
The third element of the operation centers on the seasonal return of the Moroccan diaspora living in Europe, which is a crucial factor in planning. This flow influences everything from route organization to healthcare, security measures, and consular support on both sides of the Strait.
Additionally, authorities are prioritizing anticipation and improved operational coordination, focusing on the digitization of traveler information and optimizing waiting times at ports and on roads.
With this meeting in Tangier, Operation Marhaba 2026 is moving into an advanced preparation phase, ready for the staged implementation of arrangements set to begin before the peak summer travel season.
