Latest news with #Grande-Marlaska
Ya Biladi
11-07-2025
- Business
- Ya Biladi
Record-breaking summer expected for Operation Crossing the Strait, says Spanish Minister
During his visit to the Port of Tarifa (Cádiz) on Thursday, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska announced that «Operation Crossing the Strait» (OPE 2025) has recorded a 5.6% increase in travelers and a 6.9% rise in vehicles compared to summer 2024. The trend points toward a new record, potentially surpassing the 3.4 million crossings registered last year, the highest since the operation began in 1986. As of July 8, the number of travelers had reached 409,000, with 103,000 vehicles, signaling what could be an unprecedented summer in terms of cross-strait movement. Grande-Marlaska praised the operation's «efficiency», describing it as a testament to Spain's strong civil protection system and effective coordination with Morocco, «crucial for the campaign's success». He emphasized the importance of ongoing collaboration both in the planning and execution phases of the operation. During his visit, the minister toured the facilities at the Port of Tarifa, the second-busiest port in terms of passenger traffic. As of July 8, Tarifa had registered 71,367 passengers and 8,950 vehicles across 338 ferry crossings. He also held meetings with local and security officials and visited the border control area, where he met with representatives of the National Police, Civil Guard, Civil Protection, and the Red Cross. The visit also included an encounter with the Moroccan consul and a representative of the Mohammed VI Foundation.
Morocco World
10-07-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Spain Commends ‘Perfect Coordination' with Morocco in Record-Breaking Marhaba 2025
Rabat – Spain's Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska commended the smooth progress of Operation Marhaba 2025, praising the 'perfect coordination' with Morocco. This cooperation has ensured the success of this year's record-breaking operation to welcome Moroccan expatriates. 'None of this would be possible without the close collaboration and perfect coordination with our neighbor and partner, Morocco, with whom we maintain constant contact during preparations and throughout the operation,' Grande-Marlaska said during a visit to the southern coastal city of Tarifa to oversee the process. According to Spain's Interior Ministry, this year's operation is already setting records. In its first month, passenger traffic through Spanish ports rose 5.6%, and vehicles crossing the Strait of Gibraltar increased by 6.9% compared to 2024 figures, continuing a strong upward trend in recent years. Grande-Marlaska stressed the importance of the preparation and joint efforts with Morocco, calling the 2025 edition 'a new historic milestone' for cross-Mediterranean travel. During his visit, the minister also held meetings with Moroccan officials, including Driss Soussi, Morocco's consul general in Algeciras, and representatives of the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity, which plays a critical role in supporting Moroccan nationals during the summer migration period. Operation Marhaba, now in its 25th edition, is an annual initiative led by the Mohammed V Foundation to welcome the Moroccan diaspora traveling home for the summer. Launched this year on June 10, the operation features a larger and more comprehensive network than ever, with 26 reception sites in Morocco, Spain, France, and Italy. For the first time, two new welcome centers were opened at Laayoune and Dakhla airports, bringing the total number of Moroccan-based sites to 20, strategically located in key ports and airports to assist travelers. The 2025 operation is expected to handle an exceptional flow of around 3.5 million travelers, primarily Moroccans living in Europe, representing a 4% increase compared to last year. On the instructions of King Mohammed VI, the foundation has activated its full support system across both sides of the Mediterranean, ensuring assistance and care for Moroccans returning home during the busy summer months. Tags: Marhaba 2025Operation Marhaba 2025spain morocco cooperation
Morocco World
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Spain's Interior Minister to Inspect New ‘Smart Border' Technology in Melilla
Rabat — Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska is set to visit Melilla tomorrow to tour the new 'smart border' installations at the Beni Ansar land crossing. According to Spanish media , Grande-Marlaska will be at the border on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. to examine the 'entry/exit' technological system firsthand. Using biometric surveillance technology, the new border control system is conceived to automate border crossings. It aims to strengthen security while making border crossings more efficient. Spanish authorities conceived the new border control system to automate crossings using biometric surveillance technology. The 'smart border' system in Melilla is designed to combat identity theft and fraudulent use of travel documents, prevent entry of people who don't meet requirements, and identify individuals who overstay their authorized visits. On another level, the system also helps prevent, detect, and investigate terrorist crimes and other serious offenses by providing crucial information for investigations involving people who have crossed the European Union's external borders. The Spanish media reported data by the Spanish National Police from last October, of more than four million people and 760,000 vehicles passing through this checkpoint over the past year. Read also: Spanish Minister: 'Smart Border' Between Ceuta, Morocco to be Ready 'Before End of Year' However, the first commercial export through the Beni Ansar crossing took place in January this year, when a truck carrying approximately 600 kilograms of home appliances successfully crossed from Melilla into Morocco. Morocco and Spain officials decided to follow a gradual reopening of customs posts to ensure the fluidity of the recovering commercial exchange through the borders, both in Ceuta and Melilla. The visit marks the minister's first visit to Melilla since April 17, 2023, following the tragic border crossing attempt on June 24, 2022, when over 2,000 irregular migrants attempted to forcibly cross to the enclave of Melilla from Nador. The incident led to the death of 23 migrants, while clashes resulted in injuries among over 140 personnel and security guards.
Ya Biladi
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Spanish Interior Minister to inspect Melilla's new high-tech «smart border»
The Spanish Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, will visit the new facilities of the «smart border» at the Beni Ansar land crossing in Melilla on Wednesday. According to EFE, the Spanish Ministry of the Interior announced that Grande-Marlaska will arrive at the border crossing at 11:30 a.m. to visit the «entry/exit system», which automates border control processes using biometric surveillance technologies. This system enhances security and efficiency at border crossings. According to data from the National Police, over four million people and 760,000 vehicles passed through the system last year alone. The «smart border» system in Melilla is designed to combat identity theft and the fraudulent use of travel documents, prevent the entry of individuals who do not meet the required conditions, and identify those who overstay their permitted duration of stay. Additionally, the system helps prevent, detect, and investigate terrorist or serious crimes and provides valuable information for investigations related to individuals who have crossed the European Union's external borders. Two hours before his visit to the smart border, the Minister of the Interior will hold a coordination and operational meeting with senior officials from the National Police and the Civil Guard in Melilla, along with the Government Delegate, Sabrina Moh. The last visit by the Spanish Minister of the Interior to Melilla took place on April 17, 2023, nearly ten months after the tragic attempt to cross the border on June 24, 2022, which resulted in the deaths of 23 migrants, according to official Moroccan figures.
Morocco World
14-02-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Spain Minister: Madrid Wants to Maintain Important, Strategic Ties with Rabat
Rabat – Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has yet again underlined the need to cement strategic bilateral ties between Morocco and Spain. The minister made his latest comments in an interview today with Cala Sur channel, held on the sidelines of the 5th Ministerial Meeting of the European Coalition Against Organized Crime held in Cadiz. Morocco is a 'Strategic and reliable partner' with which Spain hopes to maintain close security cooperation, particularly in the fight against drug trafficking and transnational crime, Grande-Marlaska said. He also defined cooperation between the two countries as 'excellent,' pointing out the progress made in all areas including in the battle against drug trafficking and transnational crime. Grande-Marlaska's remarks come just a day after Morocco's General Directorate of Surveillance (DGST) provided Spanish security services with essential intelligence that enabled the European country to carry out a major drug bust. With considerable aid from Moroccan intelligence, Spanish police seized over two tons of cannabis. The operation took place on the northern coast of Tenerife Island in the Canary Islands. Spanish police also arrested six suspects during the operation. This is not the first time that Moroccan police have helped their Spanish counterparts in security operations. Earlier this month, Spanish police arrested three suspects in Toledo on suspicion of terrorism thanks to intelligence from Morocco. Beyond security cooperation, Morocco and Spain share good bilateral ties and cooperate in other fields, including trade. According to official data from the Spanish government, Spain's agri-food fisheries exports to Morocco accounted for 1.6% of its total exports worldwide in 2022. 'Morocco ranks 12th among our buyers and 8th among our[agri-food and fisheries exports (AAP)]suppliers globally,' the data said . AAP imports from Morocco represented 3.9% of Spain's total AAP imports. Politically, Spain and Morocco celebrated a milestone in 2022, when the Spanish government endorsed the country's Autonomy Plan as the most serious plan to end the dispute over Western Sahara.
