The «Strait Crossing Operation» (OPE 2025) in Spain has witnessed a notable surge, with 1,720,799 travelers and 433,754 vehicles journeying to the Mediterranean's southern shores. This represents a growth of 3.5% and 3.6% respectively from the previous year, as reported by the Civil Protection services, which are currently managing the return phase. According to the daily bulletin released this Monday, by the weekend of August 16-17, a total of 662,387 passengers (+2.4%) and 163,177 vehicles (+2.2%) were counted in this final phase of the operation. The Moroccan side is coordinating this through the Marhaba operation, spearheaded by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity. In this return phase, the Tangier Med-Algeciras route stands out, accommodating the highest number of passengers (242,489) and vehicles (70,626), marking increases of 4.1% and 5.7% respectively compared to OPE 2024. Following closely is the Tangier Ville-Tarifa route, with 137,330 passengers (+12.9%) and 22,796 vehicles (+12%), while the Ceuta-Algeciras route reports 123,434 passengers (+1.3%) and 28,313 vehicles (-1.6%). The Nador-Almeria line also shows significant activity, recording 79,069 passengers (+5.5%) and 19,465 vehicles (+3%). The Spanish Civil Protection attributes this successful management to increased occupancy rates per line and a strategic reorganization of schedules, which have effectively met the high demand during mid-August, ensuring smoother operations at the ports.
