The Spanish state will spend more than 26 million euros to facilitate the transit of Moroccans from Europe to Morocco through Spanish ports as part of Operation Marhaba 2022.
Operation Marhaba resumed this year, after two years of suspension due to the health and diplomatic crisis between Spain and Morocco. For this edition which promises to be unprecedented, more than three million MREs and 700,000 vehicles are expected in the Spanish ports, in particular those of Algeciras and Tarifa, from where they will join Morocco.
Royal Decree-Law 6/2022 of March 29, adopted to deal with the economic and social consequences of the war in Ukraine, reduced the retail price of petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel A, diesel A+ and biodiesel. A reduction of 0.20 euros per liter applied at all Spanish gas stations, reports El Cierre Digital .
The application of this measure, which also benefits MREs transiting through Spain, will cost the country more than 13 million euros for the month of July alone. For 700,000 vehicles with an average tank of 70 liters, which refuel every 1,000 kilometers or more crossing Spain, 9.8 million euros are consumed. To this should be added 3.5 million euros for the consumption of vehicles from France and Portugal.
In addition to these 13 million euros that the Spanish State will have to pay for the transit of MREs in Morocco, it will have to provide the same amount for the return of the latter to their countries of residence in Europe, which makes a total of approximately 26.6 million euros. These figures relate only to Operation Marhaba and do not take into account the movements of the thousands of German, French, Dutch and British tourists who travel through Spain in caravans during these summer months.