Operación Paso del Estrecho sees 640,000 ferry passengers in first month

More than 640,000 passengers and 160,000 vehicles have crossed the Strait via Spanish ports during the first month of Operación Paso del Estrecho (OPE) 2026, the multi-national operation to facilitate the voyages between Europe and North Africa of over a million travellers over the summer months. 

The agencies in charge of the undertaking have reported high levels of coordination between bodies and smooth traffic flow on Spain’s roads despite the introduction of the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES) border controls. 

Between June 15 and July 15, a total of 646,121 passengers and 160,698 vehicles travelled on a total of 2,220 ferry sailings as part of the annual summer crossing between Europe and North Africa. 

This year's OPE is the first in which the EES has been mandatory, the digital system replacing manual passport stamping with the biometric registration of travellers arriving from non-EU countries. 

Spanish authorities said the introduction of the EES required additional staff and resources at participating ports but was implemented without incidents or significant delays, citing advanced planning and coordination with the Moroccan authorities. 

The Secretary General for Spain’s emergency services agencies, Virginia Barcones, said: "The planning measures adopted for this year's operation have proved effective, particularly in terms of managing passenger flows, port coordination and providing information to travellers, with the aim of ensuring a safe and orderly crossing to North Africa." 

Compared with the same period last year, passenger traffic is down 4.9%, while the number of vehicles carried has fallen by 4.4%. Ferry rotations have also decreased by 6.3%. 

Spanish authorities said the figures nevertheless reflected stable operations and continued strong flows between Europe and North Africa despite sustained demand. 

Algeciras continued to handle the largest share of traffic, recording 357,590 passengers and 100,047 vehicles since the operation began. Almería and Tarifa followed, each handling around 115,000 passengers, with 28,479 and 16,904 vehicles respectively. 

The Algeciras-Tangier Med route remained the busiest, carrying 250,504 passengers and 75,700 vehicles. 

It was followed by the Tarifa-Tangier Ville service, with 115,880 passengers and 16,904 vehicles, and the Algeciras-Ceuta route, with 107,086 passengers and 24,347 vehicles. 

Support services operating in the ports provided 386 medical interventions and 2,993 social assistance interventions during the first month of the operation. 

Valencia recorded the highest number of social assistance interventions, with 1,013, followed by Tarifa with 939 and Algeciras with 364. Almería recorded the highest number of medical interventions, with 247, followed by Tarifa with 57. 

Ms Barcones urged travellers to plan their journeys in advance, purchase ferry tickets before arriving at the ports and ensure that both personal and vehicle documentation was in order before travelling. 

She said these measures would help reduce waiting times, avoid congestion and maintain the smooth operation of the crossings during their busiest periods. 

Operación Paso del Estrecho 2026 will run until September 15 under the coordination of the Spanish and Moroccan governments, with the participation of police forces, port authorities, maritime authorities, health services, the Red Cross and other public bodies offering support and personnel.