Spain closes Ceuta border after massive attempt by migrants to scale fence

Around 300 sub-Saharans tried to break through the perimeter to the Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa this Friday morning

Melchor Sáiz-Pardo

Madrid

Friday, 14 April 2023, 11:33

Approximately three hundred sub-Saharan migrants attempted to illegally cross into Ceuta, the Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa, at 6am this Friday morning. Spain's Ministry of the Interior was forced to close the Tarajal crossing point for more than two hours.

Sources from the Spanish security forces told SUR that the crowd had been contained by the Moroccan authorities before reaching the border perimeter, so that no migrants entered Ceuta. However, the situation remains tense in the area, as the sub-Saharans are still in the vicinity of Tarajal.

The attempted border breakthrough took place "through the middle zone" of the 8.2 kilometre long double fence that runs from the Tarajal border to the Strait of Gibraltar, in Benzú, which has undergone various reinforcement works in recent years.

Both the local Guardia Civil and National Police units have mobilised their anti-riot squads, and all other available officers, including maritime and aerial divisions, in case their intervention is necessary to contain another mass assault on the border. Boats have also been deployed by the Guardia Civil to prevent migrants from trying to swim to Ceuta’s beaches.

During the first three months of this year, 199 people have entered Ceuta illegally by land (3.9% less than between January and the end of March 2022) and a further 16 have arrived by sea (half as many as last year in the same period), according to the latest data published by the Ministry of the Interior.

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