The Moroccan-Spanish mixed commission of Transit met on Wednesday in Cadiz, under the co-president of Mr. Khalid Zerouali, Wali, director of migration and border surveillance, and Ms. Susana Crisostomo, subsecretary of Spanish state inside.
During this meeting, the discussions focused on the operational systems set up by the two parties in order to guarantee the best conditions of the progress of the Marhaba 2025 operation, which benefits from the high solicitude of His Majesty the King, in particular around several components relating to fluidity, security and safety, assistance and proximity measures, communication actions as well as prevention and vigilance measures.
Thus, the national system consistently puts all sectoral interventions in line, and is available through a major social assistance system set up by the Mohammed V Foundation for solidarity in Morocco and abroad, with more than 1,200 elements mainly of social workers and doctors.
This national system also includes a coherent fleet plan, incorporating 29 ships and 7 maritime operators, serving 12 maritime lines offering a daily capacity of more than 41,269 passengers and 10,809 vehicles on the Tanger Med-Algésiras line, in addition to a substantial investment for the upgrading of port infrastructures of Tanger-Med, Nador and Al Hoceima, as well as for comfort measures and facilitation for passengers (relaxation island, shaded surfaces, walkways, display and signaling systems, as well as dredging of car-ferries stations).
It also provides for a medical and health supervision along the road axes (3,578 km) and rest areas, mobilizing doctors, nurses, ambulances, provisional rescue centers and medical units, the mobilization of local authorities, in particular through the establishment of ad hoc cells in the provinces and prefectures concerned, the strengthening of the workforce, Consular representations of Morocco in Spain, with insured daily offices, including weekends and holidays.
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Significant measures have also been taken in the fields of maritime and road transport, including technical verification campaigns of ships, as well as the mobilization of land transport inspectors.
To support this operation, a communication strategy will be dedicated to Moroccan nationals residing abroad, in particular for the popularization of practical information and the dissemination of clear, accessible and relevant information in order to meet their expectations and their needs.
-For its part, the Spanish operational system includes in particular the strengthening of the capacity of port treatment, the mobilization of agents of the security and the port police, the assistance of the Red Cross, as well as the establishment of coordination centers and rest and information areas.
In addition, the two parties have agreed to strengthen coordination between focal points to ensure good information circulation and anticipate certain aspects related to the management of peak days, the interchangeability of tickets and the fight against speculation on the prices of maritime crossings.
In a press statement, after this meeting, Ms. Crisóstomo stressed that Operation Marhaba 2025 is called to be, once again, a model of cooperation between Morocco and Spain, while welcoming the high level of coordination between the authorities of the two countries.
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It has also highlighted the strategic nature of this operation which mobilizes important human and logistical resources each year.
The Spanish official also said that all the conditions are met to ensure a fluid and secure development of the 2025 edition, thanks to the exchange of information and the constant collaboration between the parties concerned.
“More than 3 million passengers and nearly 800,000 vehicles cross the Strait of Gibraltar each summer, which represents a major organizational challenge that we take up with efficiency,” she said.
Ms. Crisóstomo has also focused on the particular importance of this operation for the province of Cadiz, whose ports ensure around 70% of travelers and vehicles, welcoming the commitment of local authorities in the success of this major operation.
