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Join on Telegram Rabat – With Morocco expecting a large flow of diaspora return during this summer’s Operation Marhaba, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita is setting out to reassure Moroccan expatriates planning to visit Morocco in the coming days and weeks for summer vacation.
Organized by the Moroccan government between June and September, the annual Operation Marhaba program is aimed at helping Moroccans residing abroad transit between Morocco and their countries of residence during the summer season.
Speaking at the House of Representatives on Monday, the Moroccan FM reassured the Moroccan diaspora that preparations are well underway to create the necessary conditions for the success of this year’s Operation Marhaba.
“The supervision of the operation is done in an intensified way throughout the week, on arrival as well as on return, with an average of 35,000 people and 4,500 vehicles per day,” Bourita said.
The number could reach 66,000 people per week during the peak of the season, requiring the intervention of many actors, the FM emphasized, stressing that this year “could see a large crowd compared to the past two years.”
The minister added that his department is working on ensuring a successful organization of the operation, including by improving consular services to monitor the progress of the transit operation in cooperation with the authorities of host countries.
Read also: Morocco To Ease Travel Restrictions Before Operation Marhaba
He mentioned the strengthening of the consular centers, in particular in Spain, France, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands, saying that measures have been taken to provide the centers with sufficient human and material resources to effectively handle the upcoming Marhaba operation.
The operation should also include the weekends and public holidays, and Morocco’s government has notably vowed that its consular services will work both on open days, during the weekends, and on holidays in host countries to assist Moroccans residing abroad.
Bourita called for the adoption of a maritime transport plan, mobilizing 32 ships on all the maritime lines connecting the Moroccan ports to their counterparts in Spain, France, and Italy, with a weekly capacity of approximately 478,000 passengers and 123,000 cars.
Maritime lines with Spain cover 95% of the passengers during Operation Marhaba, and the Moroccan FM emphasized that the pre-booking of tickets has been activated to determine the number of passengers arriving and take the necessary measures to ensure the fluidity of mobility.
Air and land transport
Morocco is also set to increase flights for busy lines during Operation Marhaba to meet diaspora needs.
Bourita also announced the opening of new exceptional flights connecting cities across Morocco and the countries of residence.
Land transport has also been reinforced, with a new group of companies having been authorized to operate buses to transport Moroccans residing in Europe.
Morocco has allocated MAD 200 million ($20.20 million) to strengthen infrastructure, logistics, and services, as well as port management to ensure the success of the operation.
The number includes MAD 157 million ($15.86 million) for the Tanger Med port, Bourita said, stressing that the development program aims at improving reception mechanisms and strengthening service.
The Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity has also devised a special plan under which about 20 reception centers have been modernized, including 14 in Morocco and six abroad.
About 1,200 qualified and specialized personnel, including 300 medical executives and 800 social workers, and 100 volunteers are fully mobilized to meet citizens’ needs.
With the number of Moroccans residing abroad estimated at over five million, the Moroccan government has long touted the importance of diaspora members and their contribution to Morocco’s economy.
The latest data indicates that remittances from Moroccans residing abroad reached more than MAD 22.9 billion, or $2.3 billion in the first quarter of 2022.
