Marrakech – Tanger Med port is absorbing a heavy flow of Moroccans returning to their countries of residence, as the second phase of the Marhaba 2026 operation approaches its busiest stretch before the end of August.
The MAP news agency reports that the return of Moroccans living abroad, known as MRE, is proceeding in good conditions thanks to measures implemented by the port authority. Chief among them is the “firm ticket” system, applied for a second consecutive year to regulate departures.
Jaafar Aamiyar, central director of the Tanger Med port, told the MAP that the return “is taking place in good conditions” at the port, largely because of that system. He expects “a significant influx toward the end of this month,” and called on every traveler passing through Tanger Med to confirm that their ticket carries the exact date and time of the crossing.
Passengers holding open or undated tickets should contact their maritime companies to fix or change reservations before heading to the port, using customer service lines, company websites, and digital applications. Confirmation, Aamiyar explained, still depends on available places aboard ships and on the capacity of the fleet mobilized this year.
He urged passengers to avoid the peak days from August 25 to 29, when boarding waits could lengthen. Access to the port remains restricted to travelers whose tickets match the exact date and time of departure.
Passengers already on the road with non-conforming tickets can request changes and adjust ticket dates before reaching the terminal, either at the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity rest area at the entrance to Tangier or at the Aïn Chouka station in Ksar Sghir. Any change remains subject to availability with the maritime companies.
The port’s latest advisory points to the same window. On its Facebook page, Tanger Med projected that crossings will climb steadily through the month before a marked peak between August 25 and 30. It classified August 19 to 22 and August 25 to 29 at the highest congestion level, with August 30 also rated heavy, before August 31 returns to a medium level.
On the Spanish side, the seasonal operation runs under the Operación Paso del Estrecho (OPE) framework, while Morocco manages the corresponding Marhaba operation.
The season began on June 15 with the outbound phase from Europe toward Morocco. Spain’s return leg started on August 16 and will continue through September 15, broadly mirroring Marhaba’s second phase as MRE travel back to their countries of residence.
Each side of the Strait measures the traffic on its own terms. Moroccan authorities, through the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity, recorded more than 2.74 million MRE crossing into the country by August 3, a 0.45% rise over 2025. Maritime travel carried 52.19% of those arrivals, and Tanger Med handled the largest share.
Spanish authorities counted the movement differently, logging 2,169,080 passengers through five Andalusian ports in both directions over the operation’s first two months, up 2.7%, with Algeciras leading departures.
