300,000 people set to cross through Spain’s Almeria to Africa

Operation Crossing the Strait 2022 expects an increase in the number of people who will pass through the Port of Almeria from Wednesday, June 15, until August 15, on their way to North Africa.

The number of people heading towards Africa from the Port of Almeria is expected to exceed figures seen in 2019, following two years without the operation taking place due to the pandemic and the closure of borders by the Moroccan authorities, as reported by Noticias de Almeria.

The forecast was made by the steering committee of the 2022 operation, who met on the morning of Tuesday, June, 14,  for the approval of the operation.

The steering committee is made up of the heads of the different institutions and organisations involved in Operation Crossing the Strait of Gibraltar.

It was chaired by the deputy sub-delegate, Juan Ramón Fernández, secretary general of the Sub-delegation, and was attended by the delegate of the Government of the Junta, Aránzazu Martín, and the president of the Port Authority, Jesús Caicedo.

At the meeting, the head of the Civil Protection Unit of the Government Subdelegation, Emilio Magaña, explained the provincial OPE 2022 Plan designed by the Civil Protection Unit of the Subdelegation.

“The 280,000 passengers and 67,000 vehicles that passed through Almería in 2019, represented the largest increase in passengers after the port of Tarifa. We estimate that this summer the influx will be even greater,” stated Juan Ramón Fernández at the end of the steering committee.

Operation Crossing the Strait is coordinated by the Ministry of the Interior and by the Civil Protection Unit of the Government Subdelegation, in collaboration with the Port Authority of the Port of Almeria.

Also taking part in the operation are the Maritime Captaincy, External Health, National Police, Civil Guard, the Civil Protection Service of the Andalusian Regional Government and the Almeria City Council, the companies Armas-Transmediterránea and Balearia, the Andalusian Health Service Health District, the Red Cross, the Provincial Traffic Headquarters and the Port Police.

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