Starting Thursday, the Ministry of the Interior will deploy a total of 19,441 police officers with the aim of guaranteeing the “normal and fluid” development of this year’s Strait Passage operation. This represents an increase of almost 21% in the number of agents included in the operation last year, when the operation was resumed after the covid pandemic.
It is intended that through collaboration between agents and various organizations, it can be ensured during the summer that the thousands of North African citizens who cross Spain to go to and return from their countries of origin can do so.
The Strait Pass Operation coordinated by the General Directorate of Civil Protection and Emergencies of the Ministry of the Interior also includes organizations such as the Ministry of Health and those autonomous communities that are ports and borders (Valencia, Alicante, Almería, Málaga, Motril, Algeciras, Tarifa, Ceuta and Melilla).
In the 2022 OPE, a total of 695,487 vehicles crossed the Strait of Gibraltar. The Special Plan of the operation does not only have a Fleet Plan, but also provincial coordination plans in each of the participating ports and road safety plans.
The plan sets the critical dates for the massive flow of vehicles and passengers. Which are in the departure phase, between June 15 to August 15, and in the return phase, from July 15 to September 15. During periods of increased traffic, it is planned to implement measures such as the interchangeability of tickets, to help expedite the boarding of passengers.
One of the objectives of OPE 2023 is “the fluidity and safety of traffic, assistance to travelers and the prevention and protection of public health”. A security device and a health care device have been established. The Ministry of Health, the autonomous communities of Andalusia and the Valencian Community, as well as the Spanish Red Cross will collaborate. They will attend to any need that arises due to the high concentration of people and vehicles in the boarding areas, especially on critical dates with greater traffic intensity. In addition, citizens who cross the country will have specialized social assistance personnel who will offer administrative support in their language.
For this year’s OPE, the Directorate General for Traffic has prepared a web page where citizens traveling this summer can see maps with recommended road routes, rest areas and information points. You can also consult emergency telephone numbers and information on the state of ports and roads.
