The General Director of Civil Protection and Emergencies, Virginia Barcones, has assured during her visit to Melilla that they will work together with the Autonomous City and with the other agencies that are part of the device for Operation Strait Pass (OPE) “to continue moving forward in giving that better response so that the OPE continues to set that record throughout Europe, with the greatest transit of people and vehicles”, while at the same time “minimizing those issues that are a little more serious for the citizens of the cities where it develops”.
The head of Civil Protection has traveled to our city together with the Deputy Director of Emergencies, Benjamín Salvago, national coordinator of the OPE at technical level, to participate in the Territorial Committee of Coordination, Management and Direction of the OPE 2025.
In statements to the media, Barcones has stressed the importance of advance planning and institutional collaboration, key elements to successfully face an operation that, according to the forecasts of the National Center for Alerts and Emergencies, will reach record figures.
This year, an increase of 4% in the number of people crossing the Strait is expected this summer, and 5% more vehicles than in 2024, consolidating the growing trend of car travel. “More and more people cross the Strait and do so in more vehicles, looking for comfort, safety and comfort in their travels,” he explained.
Melilla, a key role
Barcones has highlighted that Melilla plays a fundamental role within the device, both for its strategic location and for the volume of transit it manages. Last year, although there was a slight decrease in traffic in the departure phase, this trend was reversed in the return phase, placing the port of Almería - the main destination from Melilla - as the one that experienced the greatest percentage increase.
One of the main objectives of this year’s device is to make the development of the OPE compatible with the daily life of the citizens of Melilla. “We work to protect people and their property, but also to ensure that the city continues to function normally,” Barcones explained.
The Director General of Civil Protection recalled that last year the OPE reached historic figures in its 35 editions, becoming the largest transit operation for people and vehicles in Europe, and that, for the first time in decades, it was not necessary to activate the extraordinary emergency mechanisms in any of the ports. “But we do not fall into self-complacency; we continue to work with a self-critical vision and with the aim of improving the citizen response every year,” he added.
“We always seek to learn from the experiences of other places and incorporate measures that ensure greater safety and comfort for travelers, as well as offering quality services in waiting areas,” he explained.
Institutional strengthening and international cooperation
This year, in addition, a new actor is added to the interministerial coordination. The eight ministries that were already involved included the Ministry of Agriculture, through the General Directorate of Food Production and Animal Safety, thus strengthening the sanitary and food safety dimension of the operation.
Barcones, in his intervention before the media, has valued the collaboration with the Autonomous City of Melilla and the need to “align and work together” to minimize possible negative impacts on the city during the operation. “We want OPE to be a source of national pride. We are able to organize the largest movement of people and vehicles in Europe and one of the largest in the world with safety, efficiency and quality,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of international cooperation in the success of the OPE. In this regard, he referred to coordination with Morocco. “The bilateral meeting held last month in Cadiz, where we acted as hosts, was a success. Neighbourly relations and common interests are excellent, and we are perfectly aligned to further improve the joint response,” he said.
OPE 2025 will officially begin on June 15. In Melilla, the device focuses on ensuring the safety and comfort of travelers, as well as making the normal development of life in the city compatible. “Our goal is for Operation Strait Pass to make us proud as a country, organizing the largest movement of people and vehicles in Europe, with the highest quality and safety,” he concluded.
Effective response to any eventuality
The Delegate of the Government, Sabrina Moh, for her part, explained that the device is very advanced, in the absence of clarifying some details at the coordination meeting held today, while stressing that this year new actions have been planned to strengthen the services of State Security Forces and Bodies and minimize the impact of the summer period as far as the OPE is concerned.
Among the measures adopted, Moh has referred to the upcoming incorporation of a significant number of students from the National Police Force, which will reinforce the usual force at the border crossing, as well as in other services. Added to this are the additional provisions of both the National Police and the Civil Guard, aimed at ensuring a safe and efficient device. “The goal is clear: to adequately cover this operation and provide an effective response to any eventuality that may arise,” he said.
The Delegate has also valued the Government’s effort to plan ahead for the OPE, taking into account the specific reality of the autonomous city. “We tried to accurately reflect this reality for months before the operation started,” he said.
Thus, although the OPE will officially begin on June 15, Moh has pointed out that during the past weekend - coinciding with the celebration of the Feast of Sacrifice - a special device was activated to manage possible additional displacements, both of people crossing through Melilla towards the border and of the Melillenses themselves. “All this is perfectly contemplated and structured,” he said.
Moh has taken advantage of his speech to highlight the progressive improvements that have been implemented in the device over the years. “There are many actions that have been carried out to improve services and attention to the citizen. There are difficulties, it is true, but many improvements have also materialized that deserve to be valued,” he said.
In this regard, he thanked the health personnel of the National Institute of Health Management (Ingesa), which will serve in the port during the OPE, and praised the work of the Civil Guard and the National Police, whose involvement he considers “fundamental to the success of the device”. “This is a job that requires coordination, effort and the involvement of many professionals. We must also recognize it and highlight it”, he concluded.