Morocco on Sunday began welcoming an influx of its citizens living in Europe, as the pandemic halted one of the world’s largest cross-continental migrations.
The last such attempt in the summer of 2019 saw more than three-quarters of the 3.3 million people and more than a million vehicles crossing the Strait of Gibraltar.
The North African kingdom just 14 kilometers off the coast of Spain has announced that it will also take special measures for Moroccans for two months starting June 15.
The Spanish government has called seasonal migration “one of the largest influx of people across the continents in such a short period of time”.
The resumption of cross-strait travel on a large scale comes not only after downplaying the threat of the pandemic, but also after improving diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The year-long diplomatic dispute originally extended the border closure due to Kovid-19, but sea traffic resumed in April.
“Operation Marhaba” [Welcome] for Moroccans living abroad begins June 5,” said a statement late Saturday from the Mohamed V Solidarity Foundation, which organizes the effort.
More than 1,000 people, including doctors, social workers and volunteers, have signed up to help people arriving at ports and airports.
Most will come from Spain by boat.
As well as Moroccan ports, the Spanish ports of Almería and Algeciras, Marseilles in France and Genoa in Italy will be deployed.
Traffic goes in both directions, as many Moroccans also head to Spanish coastal resorts for their holidays.
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