2023-06-05 19:01:18
Operation Marhaba 2023 started this Monday, June 5 and will not end until September 15, said the Mohammed V Foundation, which is contributing to this operation with all national stakeholders, by activating the global reception system at the level Morocco, France, Italy and Spain, made up of 24 assistance and support sites for Moroccans residing abroad (MRE).
The operation aims to support, in the best conditions, the increasing flows of MREs on their return to Morocco, during the summer period. “The 24 sites will remain operational for the entire period of the operation, i.e. 3 and a half months, both during the arrival phase and the return phase”, underlines the press release.
These are 18 reception areas which will be operational in Morocco and which are located in the ports of Tanger-Med, Tanger-Ville, Al Hoceima and Nador, in the airports of Casablanca Mohammed V, Rabat-Salé, Oujda Angad , Nador, Agadir Massira, Fez-Saiss, Marrakech-Menara, and Tangier Ibn Battouta. Several rest areas have also been set up in the North of Morocco, Jebha, Tazaghine and Smir M’Diq as well as at the border posts of Bab Sebta and Melillia. In Europe, six (6) Marhaba spaces are located at the European ports of Genoa (Italy), Sète and Marseille (France), Motril, Almeria and Algeciras (Spain).
The usual social and medical assistance services, reinforced by the presence of social workers on board long-haul ships, provided during the 2021 edition of the operation, will remain operational at the Marhaba reception sites deployed by the Foundation in Morocco and abroad.
This operation thus required the mobilization of a workforce of nearly one thousand four hundred (1,400) people, including Foundation teams, social workers, doctors, paramedical staff and volunteers, with the mission of being listening to MREs, assisting them and providing them with the necessary support and assistance.
Relaxation of customs measures
The Customs and Indirect Tax Administration has published a new circular relating to the reception of MREs, as part of Operation Marhaba 2023, in which it recalls the measures decided to improve the quality of reception of MREs in recent years. , emphasizing that additional efforts will be made to further raise the level of benefits.
In this context, all the administrative structures, at the central and regional levels, are called upon to mobilize and invest in order to ensure perfect implementation of the Royal orientations, by making sure to simplify access to the various procedures and facilities concerning them, whether on their arrival or departure or during their stay in the country, and this, in accordance with the commitments of the “Welcome Charter”, it is underlined.
In this sense, the Marhaba 2023 campaign will be marked by new measures, in this case, the exemption granted to MREs when they go on vacation. And taking into account the inflationary trend that the world is currently experiencing, it was decided to raise the threshold of the deductible relating to objects of no commercial nature, imported by MREs on the occasion of their entry on vacation, from 20,000 DH to 25,000 DH.
In addition, and to facilitate the benefit of the Temporary Admission (AT) regime, it was decided to authorize the AT of a passenger vehicle on the basis of a non-legalized power of attorney: driving in Morocco a vehicle in AT by any person residing abroad other than the holder of the AT card, without prior agreement from the administration, provided that they have the original documents for the vehicle (registration certificate, document of valid AT) as well as a power of attorney, in the event of driving the vehicle abroad.
In addition, a specific e-mail address ([email protected]) has been put into service to allow the persons concerned to exercise, in accordance with the provisions of Law 09-08 relating to the protection of natural persons at the regard to the processing of personal data, their rights of access, opposition and rectification in relation to the data of the AT operations supported on the computer system of the administration and consultable through the online service ” Consultation of AT TRAVELERS”, accessible via the Administration’s Internet portal: www.douane.gov.ma.
Operation Crossing the Strait will begin on June 15 in Spain
While Operation Marhaba began on June 5, its counterpart in Spain, known as “Operation Crossing the Strait 2023”, is scheduled to run from June 15 to September 15. This was decided during the Spanish-Moroccan Mixed Commission, through which officials from both countries agreed in mid-May in Madrid (at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior) to intensify coordination in the preparation for Operation Crossing the Strait 2023 (OPE-23).
The joint committee also addressed, among other issues, the operational arrangements that the two countries will put in place to guarantee the progress of the OPE-23, which will be similar to those applied last year. In 2022, the Spanish Ministry of the Interior mobilized a security system of 15,995 National Police and Civil Guard agents.
The measures studied by those responsible for the Civil Protection of Spain and Morocco will ensure various objectives, among which the guarantee of the fluidity and safety of transit, assistance to travelers and the prevention and protection of public health.
In addition, during the meeting, the fleet plans which are to ensure an adequate supply for the daily passenger and vehicle traffic were designed by mutual agreement. The reinforcements of staff that will be mobilized in the ports to guarantee transit, both in the direction going from Europe to Africa and that concerning the second phase of return of the OPE-23, also made the object of consultation.
33 boats and 538 weekly crossings
To make Operation “Marhaba 2023” a success, the Minister of Transport and Logistics, Mohamed Abdeljalil, assured that his department ensured the development of the plan concerning the fleet and the scheduling of the crossings, which takes into account the reinforcement of the offer and the diversification of the transit points. This required the mobilization of 33 boats from nine different companies which will provide all the links between Moroccan ports and those of Spain, France and Italy, for a total of 538 weekly sea crossings and an estimated capacity of 500,000 passengers and 136,000 vehicles per week. Marhaba 2022, operated from June 15 to September 15, 2022, had recorded a total traffic of 3.2 million travelers and 558,000 vehicles, using a fleet of 33 boats connecting Moroccan and European ports.
Regarding expensive tickets, the ministry declines its responsibility
The launch of Operation Marhaba 2023 in early June, many Moroccans living abroad, in Europe, America and Canada, complain regarding the increase in ticket prices made available by Royal Air Maroc, as well as that price of maritime transport vessels between Morocco and Spain. the Ministry of Transport and Logistics explained that it was “not in a position” to intervene with shipping companies and airlines to lower their fares during Operation Marhaba.
Strengthening consular services
The Kingdom’s consulates around the world are working to strengthen direct contact with MREs, even if it means using mobile consulates for greater proximity, by working to improve the “consular breakdown”. The improvement of these services is also ensured by the creation of an electronic portal, a “unified consular guide” and a multilingual call centre. The Ministry is also developing the management of consular fees remotely and is improving appointment booking services, with a permanence assured at consulate level on Saturdays and Sundays, by planning the extension of the consular network in Africa and in the USA.
Government mobilization for MREs
The Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, chaired, last Thursday in Rabat, the 10th meeting of the Ministerial Commission in charge of Moroccans residing abroad (MRE) and migration affairs, an opportunity to underline the government’s commitment for the implementation of the 2021-2026 government program, in order to meet the expectations of MREs. In this sense, he called for speeding up the pace of implementation of the provisions of this program, in order to meet the expectations of MREs: preservation of rights and interests, digitization of administrative procedures, enhancement of skills and facilitation of access to investment in the country.
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