During his visit to the Port of Tarifa (Cádiz) on Thursday, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska announced that «Operation Crossing the Strait» (OPE 2025) has recorded a 5.6% increase in travelers and a 6.9% rise in vehicles compared to summer 2024. The trend points toward a new record, potentially surpassing the 3.4 million crossings registered last year, the highest since the operation began in 1986. As of July 8, the number of travelers had reached 409,000, with 103,000 vehicles, signaling what could be an unprecedented summer in terms of cross-strait movement. Grande-Marlaska praised the operation's «efficiency», describing it as a testament to Spain's strong civil protection system and effective coordination with Morocco, «crucial for the campaign's success». He emphasized the importance of ongoing collaboration both in the planning and execution phases of the operation. During his visit, the minister toured the facilities at the Port of Tarifa, the second-busiest port in terms of passenger traffic. As of July 8, Tarifa had registered 71,367 passengers and 8,950 vehicles across 338 ferry crossings. He also held meetings with local and security officials and visited the border control area, where he met with representatives of the National Police, Civil Guard, Civil Protection, and the Red Cross. The visit also included an encounter with the Moroccan consul and a representative of the Mohammed VI Foundation.
