Spain Deploys Military Drones to Bolster Border Security in Ceuta and Melilla

The company Stock RC FPV Aeromodelismo SL is responsible for providing the four drones for an amount of 199,872.8 euros. The agreement was signed on January 19 by the Director General of the Civil Guard, María Gámez. "The assaults on the borders of Ceuta and Melilla are becoming increasingly violent [...]. The use of these technical means aims to strengthen the surveillance of border perimeters and to provide a more rational response to attempts by migrants to assault in order to prevent or mitigate these situations," she said.

To read: Melilla to Deploy Drones for Border Surveillance as Morocco Crossing Reopens

The Civil Guard highlighted the efficiency of the border protection service with Morocco in Ceuta and Melilla to justify the urgency of the procedure, according to El Independiente. On October 13, seven out of 12 migrants managed to enter Melilla illegally after assaulting an agent with a hook, lamented the armed institute, recalling that a few days earlier, the Spanish and Moroccan security forces had prevented the entry of 700 sub-Saharan migrants "perfectly organized and using military tactics".

To read: Migrants Breach Melilla Border Fence, Injuring Police and Sparking Quarantine Measures

A group of 400 sub-Saharan Africans had also tried to enter the autonomous city on September 24, showing rare "violence". They were "throwing stones and other objects" at the Civil Guards, according to the government delegation in Melilla, which condemned the massive migrant assaults that occurred on July 22 (300 migrants), August 28 (350), December 22 and 29, and more recently, on January 19 and February 6, 2022.