The European border and coast guard agency, Frontex and the Spanish National Police have launched this year’s Minerva operation, which takes place at three Spanish ports during the busy summer holiday season.
Every year, Frontex provides additional border guard officers to Spain at the ports of Algeciras, Tarifa and Ceuta to assist with checking people arriving from Morocco. The agency also deploys forged document experts and border guards trained to detect stolen cars. The information collected during the operation is important for the fight against criminal organizations and future investigations.
This summer, nearly 100 standing corps officers from 18 countries will help speed up the processing of passengers, while handling any possible illegal activities. During the peak summer days, border guards need to check as many as 10,000 cars and lorries arriving by ferries at the Spanish ports, along with thousands of documents.
Minerva’s 2021 operation will run until September.
Watch the video to learn about Operation Minerva in recent years.
