Operation Marhaba 2026, supervised by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity, concluded after more than three months of sustained mobilization, having welcomed 4,137,594 Moroccans living abroad, an increase of 1.8% compared with the 2025 edition.
Held under the effective Presidency of HM King Mohammed VI, the operation ran from June 10 to September 15 and was marked by sustained humanitarian mobilization, strengthened coordination between the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity and the various stakeholders, and controlled management of arrival and departure flows.
According to the Foundation’s assessment, passenger flows were handled without significant congestion, despite peak days recording nearly 80,000 arrivals and more than 87,000 departures.
To support these flows, particularly during the departure phase, an enhanced system was introduced, including the use of fixed-date tickets, the development of traffic regulation areas, and assistance for passengers traveling by coach through the ports of Tanger Med and Algeciras, alongside awareness campaigns.
The Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity mobilized substantial human and technical resources through its reception system, comprising a central coordination office, 1,134 social workers, and 236 doctors, paramedical staff and temporary personnel.
The system operated through 26 Marhaba reception areas in Morocco and abroad, covering the ports of Tanger Ville, Tanger Med, Nador and Al Hoceima, the Bab Sebta and Bab Melilia crossings, as well as the airports of Casablanca, Oujda, Tangier Ibn Battouta, Nador El Aroui, Marrakech, Agadir, Fez, Rabat-Salé, Laayoune and Dakhla.
Abroad, six Marhaba reception areas covered operations at the European ports of Genoa in Italy; Sète and Marseille in France; and Motril, Almeria and Algeciras in Spain.
On the humanitarian front, 66,993 members of the Moroccan community received direct assistance from the Foundation. This included 14,089 interventions related to administrative, customs and legal procedures, as well as 787 cases involving transport assistance. The assessment also records 8,495 people who benefited from medical assistance, emergency first aid or hospitalization.
Behind these figures were a range of concrete situations requiring intervention, including polytrauma cases, lost documents, boarding difficulties and road accidents.
In July, for instance, Foundation teams assisted 25 victims of a coach accident involving a vehicle carrying 45 Moroccan expatriates arriving from Italy. The accident occurred on the Tangier-Kenitra motorway. Five seriously injured passengers were transferred to El Idrissi Provincial Hospital and monitored for 10 days, while transportation was arranged for the other passengers so that they could continue their journey.
In August, the Foundation also organized transportation for nearly 1,000 passengers in distress at the port of Algeciras, enabling them to continue their journey by coach.
During the same month, boarding assistance was provided to 25 vehicles belonging to members of the Moroccan diaspora traveling to Genoa, which had been left at the quay due to an issue related to the management of vehicle-deck parking spaces aboard the vessel.
In September, Foundation teams assisted families who had traveled following the deaths of two relatives after their vehicle fell into the waters of the port of Algeciras. The assistance included support with administrative formalities and procedures related to the repatriation of the deceased.
Speaking to the press, Omar Moussa Abdellah, project manager at the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity, said that the 2026 edition had proceeded under good conditions, highlighting the strong mobilization of all stakeholders and Foundation teams deployed on the ground.
This mobilization, he said, made it possible to provide continuous, close-to-the-ground assistance to members of the Moroccan community living abroad.
“In several emergency situations, the Foundation’s teams intervened rapidly to reassure families, guide them and facilitate the necessary procedures, enabling them to continue their journey,” he explained.
The operation was conducted “without any major incident,” Moussa Abdellah added, attributing this to the continuous mobilization of teams and coordination with the various stakeholders.
He further noted that operational efficiency helped ensure the continuity and quality of reception services during both the arrival and departure phases.
This close presence on the ground, combined with mobilization and solidarity, is precisely what gives Operation Marhaba its strength, distinctive character and unique nature, he said.
Through this comprehensive system, the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity continues to fulfill its mission of providing humanitarian support to Moroccans living abroad, ensuring direct assistance and a close presence throughout the various stages of their journey to and from Morocco.
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