Spain has taken a new step to prevent infiltration. The Spanish administration announced on Saturday that a floating barrier will be installed in the sea between Morocco and Ceuta to prevent illegal immigrants. It has been reported that this step is being taken after learning from recent incidents. Spain made this announcement after sending back about 50,000 illegal immigrants who entered Ceuta from Morocco. Meanwhile, the death toll due to infiltration has increased to 67.
The new structure will be 500 meters (1,600 feet) long, according to the Spanish Interior Ministry. The giant floating buoy will stand like a wall in the sea between the two borders. The floating wall will also extend up to one meter underwater. Beyond this, the entire system will be reinforced by installing another row of buoys anchored by the Spanish Navy. This will make infiltration by sea virtually impossible.
The new structure will be 500 meters (1,600 feet) long. This giant floating buoy will stand like a wall in the sea between the two borders.
Ceuta is an autonomous city in Spain, located on the coast of North Africa. This town, separated from the Spanish mainland by the Strait of Gibraltar, is adjacent to the Moroccan border. Infiltrators often enter there from Morocco. But since last Thursday, the number has suddenly started increasing rapidly. According to the Spanish Interior Ministry, 48,300 infiltrators entered Ceuta between Thursday and Friday evening. Meanwhile, the Ceuta administration claims that the number has increased to more than 60,000 in two days. Then, when thousands of people gathered near the border, Moroccan security forces used batons and tear gas to force the crowd to retreat and prevent more people from entering Spanish territory. After the clash, the burnt parts of a bus and seven cars were seen there. In addition, hundreds of infiltrators were trapped on the Moroccan side due to the presence of military transport at various parts of the border from the Spanish side. It has also been reported that many infiltrators claim that they have not received any food or shelter in Ceuta, so they are returning.
Meanwhile, Europe is concerned about this infiltration. Over the whole incident, more than 20 countries of the European Union wrote to the European Commission and called for an urgent meeting of interior ministers. It is known that most of those who infiltrated were young Moroccan citizens looking for work. Kamal Omar, a 24-year-old who came to Ceuta, said that he left Sudan due to the civil war in 2023. He arrived in Morocco last year. He said, ‘I do not want to return to Morocco. Please protect us.’
But why are so many people crowding together at the Jamal border? It is being claimed that behind this is a misinterpretation of a ruling by the Spanish Supreme Court. The ruling said that migrants caught at sea cannot be immediately sent back if they have not crossed any obstacles to reach Spanish territory. Human traffickers have spread a misinterpretation of that ruling. Due to which thousands of people have crossed the sea and crowded into Ceuta.