Ceuta Port Calls for Urgent Action as Migration Crisis Strains Security Measures

The security barriers installed at the port of Ceuta to deter would-be immigrants have been severely tested since the migration crisis that occurred in May. Access to the area is limited by metal sheets and walls to prevent the entry of migrants. Despite these limits, Moroccan migrants managed to cross the border by damaging the infrastructure in place.

These acts of vandalism have had visible consequences. They threaten the implementation of the recent agreements signed to attract cruise ships to strengthen the port as the economic lung of Ceuta. According to El Faro de Ceuta, this is a major security problem that requires immediate measures to be taken at the highest level, to prevent the efforts made for the modernization of the port from being wiped out.

To read: Spain Considers Frontex Deployment to Secure Ceuta and Melilla Borders

Due to this insecurity, the people whose activity directly depends on the port have had to request protection to allow them to work freely, without fear. Similarly, the local police had to provide an escort for the carriers to prevent migrants from sneaking into the truck cargoes or in the holds. The Port Authority has also had to call on the police to monitor the fuel supply activity after the companies threatened to suspend it.

To maintain security within the port, a police vehicle is permanently stationed there to ensure the smooth running of operations. The Port Authority is calling on the government to find an immediate and necessary solution to the problem.