Rabat – The annual “Crossing the Strait” operation will launch on June 15, with notable participation from the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.
The operation will take place in two phases: phase one, the “exit phase,” will take place from June 15 to August 15, while the second phase, the “return phase,” will last from July 15 to September 15.
Operation “Crossing the Strait” is similar to the Marhaba campaign, as both are efforts to facilitate the return of Moroccans residing abroad to their home country for the summer.
After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic and a diplomatic crisis with Spain, the operation is returning to 17 stations, including the border crossings of Ceuta and Melilla.
Government delegates from the enclaves met with port authorities in Andalusia to finalize preparations, reports El Espanol.
“On May 31, the Territorial Coordination Committee of the OPE 2022 was created in Melilla to carry out the necessary procedures in this area and respond to the passage of citizens who are going to transit through the Beni Ensar border during the OPE,” a government delegation told the Spanish outlet.
Traffic for the operation is also being redirected so as to minimize disturbances to existing maritime movement and border crossings, the same delegation specifies.
Thirty-three police officers will join the Melilla force this month in preparation for the operation, with an additional enforcement of 20 scheduled for the end of June.
Morocco’s Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity, which is also responsible for the Marhaba campaign, will also be mobilizing social and medical staff, as well as volunteers to help in the operation.
The Spanish side of the operation will involve almost 17,000 personnel from the National Police and the Police Guard.
