While Operation Strait Crossing (OPE) saw a peak in passenger numbers during its first three days, totaling almost 50,000, Spain's Minister of the Interior praised the «excellent coordination» that ensured the smooth running of this crossing, accompanied by Operation Marhaba in Morocco. Visiting the port facilities of Algeciras on Monday, one of the main points of the joint operation, Fernando Grande-Marlaska pointed out that «the movement of people and vehicles towards Morocco increased this weekend by 90 and 120% compared to 2023». This flow was in fact recorded on the eve of Eid al-Adha, an occasion when many families living abroad chose to anticipate their summer stay in their home country. Forecasts indicate that the number of vehicles and passengers would increase by 6% and 4% respectively by the end of the operation, compared with 2023, when 3.2 million people and 775,000 vehicles crossed. Overall, the port of Algeciras remains the one with the highest flow of the seven port areas involved in the OPE during the summer period (Alicante, Almería, Málaga, Motril, Tarifa and Valencia). The port of Cadiz alone recorded the highest passenger (38,800) and vehicle (13,000) traffic during the first four days of the operation, which lasts until September 15, 2024. In this sense, the Spanish Ministry of the Interior reports that from the start of the OPE to Sunday, there have already been 292 ship movements for a total of 62,600 passengers and more than 18,400 vehicles. The Ministry points out that Algeciras recorded 226 ship rotations, or 77% of the total for the seven ports, for an equivalent of 38,816 passengers (62% of all travelers) and 13,075 vehicles (71%). In this context, Grande-Marlaska's visit ended with a meeting with the Moroccan Consul General in Algeciras, as well as the representative of the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity, which supports Moroccan citizens during their summer crossing via the Strait of Gibraltar.
