Ceuta’s border barrier has been closed to vehicular traffic and is now only accessible on foot between Spain and Morocco after authorities there saw a group of about 200 migrants approaching it.

A sizable number of migrants were seen approaching the border barrier in Ceuta, one of Spain’s autonomous towns in North Africa, thus the Guardia Civil and National Police of Spain blocked the border between Spain and Morocco.

The border, which along with Melilla, the other autonomous city of Spain in Africa, is the only land border between Africa and Europe, was closed to vehicles early on Friday morning after security forces observed a group of what the Spanish press describes as “about 200 migrants of sub-Saharan origin” attempting to approach the fence. After that, Moroccan authorities managed to keep the group in check.

Police sources claim that the attempted fence jump occurred “through the middle area” of the 8.2-kilometer-long fence in Benz, which has recently served as a point of entry for migrants and refugees trying to reach Europe. This fence extends from the Tarajal border all the way to the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar.

According to data from Spain’s Interior Ministry, in the first three months of 2023, 199 persons entered Ceuta illegally by land (3.9 percent less than in the same period in 2022), while 16 more did so by sea (half as many as in 2022).

Spanish security forces have come under fire for their tactics as a result of the large-scale border crossings of sub-Saharan migrants that have occurred in recent years in both Melilla and Ceuta. Amnesty International charged Madrid and Rabat with “contributing” to the catastrophe in June 2022 when at least 23 migrants perished in Melilla while attempting to jump the fence by using “excessive use of force.” Other NGOs estimated the death toll at 37.

In case intervention is required, the Red Cross Immediate Emergency Response Team (ERIE) has been placed on pre-alert.

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Around 6 am on Thursday, the Spanish Guardia Civil noticed several immigrants approaching the borders fence. According to the Government Delegation, about 1200 individuals originating from sub-Saharan Africa attempted to cross borders by jumping the high fence, some 350 managed to do so. The act took place between the border crossings of Barrio Chino and Beni-Enzar.

This is the second attempt to jump over the Melilla fence in two days. According to Efe, anti-riot means have been used by the Moroccan border guards to try to prevent the border crossing, yet the Spanish government delegation has indicated that the migrants “have displayed extreme violence, throwing stones, and using hooks and sticks against the security forces” which led to the injury of several immigrants and four civil guard agents.

The Spanish conservative nationalist political party VOX represented by its leader, Santiago Abascal, said that “at any time this represents a serious attack on Spanish sovereignty and borders, but now [with the Russian invasion of Ukraine] it takes on greater importance,” asking the government what measures they are willing to adopt in order to stop this act from happening again and if they consider this assault a threat to Spain’s National Security. Abascal continued “this inaction by the Government sends a tremendously wrong and dangerous message for the interests of Spain.”

Besides that, the far-right politician and candidate in the 2022 french presidential election Éric Zemmour commented on his Twitter account “At the gates of Europe, in Melilla on the African continent, thousands of migrants storm the Spanish border. We must support Spain to protect our nations.”

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