Radio Cadena SER’s Algeciras bureau reports that the annual Operación Paso del Estrecho (OPE) shifted more than 88,000 passengers and 22,000 vehicles through the ports of Algeciras and Tarifa between Friday and Sunday, 24–26 July — the busiest weekend so far this summer. The Interior Ministry deployed an extra 350 National Police officers and, for the first time, fully activated automated licence-plate and biometric lanes for non-EU motorists. The OPE, which runs until 15 September, facilitates the temporary migration of North African workers and their families resident in Europe who return home for the holidays. Spain’s ports have become a stress test for both the new EES and for real-time coordination platforms that track queue lengths, weather and ferry capacity. Authorities said average waiting time for foot passengers did not exceed 35 minutes despite high winds that forced three sailings to be cancelled on Saturday night. Vehicle boarding times improved by 18 % compared with the equivalent 2025 weekend, largely thanks to the digital pre-clearance lanes trialled in June and now rolled out on all berths. For mobility teams relocating staff to Morocco or routing shipments via Tangier-Med, the smooth flow is encouraging. However, the Transport Ministry warns that the first weekend of August is forecast to be even busier, and holders of corporate fleet leases must obtain the new cross-border vehicle authorization (autorización de tránsito) online at least 24 hours in advance. The OPE command centre is issuing twice-daily bulletins on capacity; HR departments should align travel policies with those advisories to minimise unproductive layovers.
Source: Cadena SER – Radio Algeciras
