With nearly one million Maghrebi expatriates already on the move, Spain’s Civil Protection service issued updated guidelines on 11 July for the second wave of Operation Paso del Estrecho (OPE)—Europe’s largest seasonal migration, which channels road and ferry traffic from Northern Europe through Spanish ports to Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Authorities urge travellers to purchase fixed-date ferry tickets in advance to avoid bottlenecks at Algeciras and Tarifa, where wait times topped five hours last weekend.
![Mid-season surge prompts fresh safety advice for Operation Paso del Estrecho 2026]()
Whether you’re a dual national sorting out re-entry paperwork or an employer arranging last-minute visas for drivers, VisaHQ can streamline the process. The company’s Spain portal lets individuals and corporates check requirements, submit applications online, and receive timely alerts, reducing the risk of being turned away at the ferry terminal.
Digital message boards on the A-7 and AP-4 motorways will now display real-time ferry occupancy data, and an additional 300 Guardia Civil officers have been deployed at the ports. The Moroccan port of Tanger Med is mirroring Spain’s measures by expanding vehicle staging areas by 20 %. For businesses sending staff or freight across the Strait of Gibraltar, the advice is to schedule crossings before 18 July, when the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha coincides with Spain’s traditional holiday exodus. Logistics firms are diverting perishable cargoes via Valencia to reduce exposure to congestion hotspots. Spanish Red Cross teams are reinforcing medical posts to cope with extreme heat, and the DGT has launched a multilingual road-safety campaign targeting drivers unfamiliar with Spanish traffic rules. In 2025, OPE recorded 1.4 million passenger movements and 370,000 vehicles; officials expect a 6 % increase this year. Employers with Maghrebi workforces should remind staff of the need for valid travel insurance and ensure that company vehicles carry the required international ‘Green Card’ as ad-hoc checks have intensified.
Whether you’re a dual national sorting out re-entry paperwork or an employer arranging last-minute visas for drivers, VisaHQ can streamline the process. The company’s Spain portal lets individuals and corporates check requirements, submit applications online, and receive timely alerts, reducing the risk of being turned away at the ferry terminal.
Digital message boards on the A-7 and AP-4 motorways will now display real-time ferry occupancy data, and an additional 300 Guardia Civil officers have been deployed at the ports. The Moroccan port of Tanger Med is mirroring Spain’s measures by expanding vehicle staging areas by 20 %. For businesses sending staff or freight across the Strait of Gibraltar, the advice is to schedule crossings before 18 July, when the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha coincides with Spain’s traditional holiday exodus. Logistics firms are diverting perishable cargoes via Valencia to reduce exposure to congestion hotspots. Spanish Red Cross teams are reinforcing medical posts to cope with extreme heat, and the DGT has launched a multilingual road-safety campaign targeting drivers unfamiliar with Spanish traffic rules. In 2025, OPE recorded 1.4 million passenger movements and 370,000 vehicles; officials expect a 6 % increase this year. Employers with Maghrebi workforces should remind staff of the need for valid travel insurance and ensure that company vehicles carry the required international ‘Green Card’ as ad-hoc checks have intensified.
