Ceuta border fence
The Ceuta border fence forms part of the Morocco–Spain border at Ceuta,[1] a city on the North African coast. Constructed by Spain, its purpose is to prevent smuggling and to stop migrants from entering Europe. Morocco objected to the construction of the barrier since it does not recognize Spanish sovereignty in Ceuta.
Ceuta is an integral part of Spain, and therefore of the European Union; its border and its equivalent in Melilla are the only two land borders between the European Union and an African country.[2]
The fence consists of parallel 6 metre (20-foot) high[3] fences topped with barbed wire, with regular watchposts and a road running between them to accommodate police patrols or ambulance service in case of need. Underground cables connect spotlights, noise and movement sensors, and video cameras to a central control booth; dozens of guard ships and patrol boats check the coast, while 621 Guardia Civil officers and 548 police officers control the shore.[4]
History[edit]
In 1993 a 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) high and 8.4 km (5.2 mi) long fence was built around the exclave. As the first fence was too easy to cross the construction of a new system started in 1995 bringing it up to 3 metres (9.8 ft). In 2005 the height was further increased, from 3 to 6 m (9 ft 10 in to 19 ft 8 in).[5]
Breaches[edit]
2005 attempted border breach[edit]
On 7 October 2005, the border fence was assaulted by hundreds of migrants, attracting international attention. Caught between Spanish rubber bullets and Moroccan gunfire, a number of migrants died (sources put the number of deaths between 13[6] and 18 people[4]) and more than 50 were wounded. Some of the dead were wounded by live ammunition; of those, two died on the Spanish side of the fence,[6] apparently shot from the Moroccan positions.[7] The 2005 events at the Ceuta and Melilla border fences are the subject of a documentary film, Victimes de nos richesses.[8]
Since then, migrants have occasionally died while trying to break through the fence.[3][9]
