Spain and Morocco finalise Operation Crossing the Strait 2025, which is expected to see record numbers of travellers

The city of Cadiz this week hosted the 36th Spanish-Moroccan Joint Commission to coordinate preparations for Operation Crossing the Strait (OPE) 2025, an unprecedented logistical and humanitarian operation in Europe that is activated every summer to manage the transit of millions of people travelling between Europe and North Africa. 

The authorities of both countries have anticipated a new increase in the volume of travellers and vehicles compared to last year. Specifically, an increase of 5% in the number of vehicles and 4% in passengers is estimated. If the forecasts are correct, more than 885,000 vehicles and around 3.58 million passengers will cross the Iberian Peninsula between 15 June and 15 September, bound for Morocco and other North African countries.  

The data reflects a growing trend after the record set in OPE 2024, when 847,429 vehicles and 3,442,770 passengers were recorded, figures that represented a total recovery from pre-pandemic levels and confirmed the magnitude of this migratory and family phenomenon that is repeated every summer.

Operation Crossing the Strait 2025 is scheduled to begin on 15 June. It will run until 15 September and, as in previous years, will include an initial departure phase and a subsequent return phase.

The operation, the largest of its kind in Europe and one of the most complex in the world, mobilises more than 29,000 people in Spain, including members of the State Security Forces, health personnel, Red Cross volunteers, social workers and translators. In addition, nine key ports are involved, including Algeciras, Tarifa, Almería and Motril, as well as some twenty state, regional and local agencies. 

One of the main objectives of the operation is to ensure safe and orderly movement, minimise waiting times at ports and offer comprehensive assistance to travellers. This year, 12,012 maritime rotations are planned, 8.4% more than in 2024, to absorb the increase in demand. 

The undersecretary of the Ministry of the Interior, Susana Crisóstomo, stressed during the meeting that the OPE is ‘an example of effective cooperation between neighbouring countries’ and highlighted the constant technical coordination between Spanish and Moroccan teams as the key to the operation's success. 

For her part, the Director General of Civil Protection and Emergencies, Virginia Barcones, called on travellers to act responsibly, urging them to purchase ferry tickets with a fixed date in advance to avoid congestion. 

‘To this end, it is very important to arrive at the port of embarkation with a ticket that has been booked and purchased as far in advance as possible,’ explained Barcones. ‘This is the best option for travellers, as it allows them to access the boarding points in an orderly and smooth manner and reduces waiting times at the port,’ she added. 

The Moroccan delegation was led by the Director of Migration and Border Surveillance, Khalid Zerouali, who was accompanied by senior officials from the Royal Gendarmerie and various ministries of the North African kingdom.

On the Spanish side, the meeting was also attended by the Deputy Director General for Mobility and Technology of the Directorate General for Traffic, Francisco José Ruiz, and the Head of the Area of Citizen Security and Operations of the Directorate General for Coordination and Studies, Miguel Ángel Barrado. 

Also present were the Deputy Delegate of the Government in Cadiz, Blanca Flores; the Director General of the Merchant Navy of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Ana Núñez; the Director General of the Port Authority of Algeciras, José Luis Hormaechea; the Deputy Director General of Foreign Health of the Ministry of Health, Fernando Riesco, and the Deputy Director General for the Maghreb at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation, Aleix Garau, among other authorities.

Over the years, Operation Crossing the Strait has established itself as an example of exemplary cooperation between Spain and Morocco, enabling millions of people to be reunited with their families every summer.