The suffocation that migratory pressure – this time by sea – has imposed on Ceuta It incorporates an element that further complicates the situation: Morocco does not cooperate. Or at least it does not do so as expected from a country considered a friend in a crisis such as the one being experienced in the autonomous city. This is what the civil guards and national border police consulted by THE WORLDwho are redoubling their efforts to contain the human tide that never ceases.
Morocco creates problems with the return of migrants. It is our daily bread. Unfortunately, we are used to their lack of cooperation, but the fact that they look the other way in a situation like this does not help us, reveals one of the agents of the Armed Institute.
The attitude of the Alaouite country that denounces twists an already complex photograph in which emerges – as every time that irregular immigration shakes the area – the flagrant lack of personnel of the Civil Guard The police are assigned to combat immigration. The 12 agents per service who, they say, guard the coasts are insufficient. Hence the inability to maneuver that has been amply confirmed in recent days. This is what an agent who faces this misgovernment on a daily basis tells us: It is unviable. One does the work of four and when an avalanche comes, everything overflows. There is not enough personnel to board a beach or to guard the border post. We are saturated. This is non-stop, he says.
They urgently need a clear and effective protocol to deal with a problem that is becoming chronic over time, and for the agreement with Morocco to make rapid returns to work properly, without obstacles. Now, they insist, this is not the case. One day they take them and another, they don’t. They don’t answer, they take days to give signals and to take charge of their nationals. To all this we must add that the arrivals continue.
They say that Morocco’s position is not new, that it operates in the same way when it comes to crossing the land border. It does what suits it best at any given time, whether by sea or land, and it certainly does not cooperate. The sea around Ceuta, they warn, continues to be a sieve. The fence is now calm because, they explain, it is easier to reach Spain by sea. Migrants choose foggy days because they can hide better. And there have been many this past week. They swim and reach the coast. They know that there are not enough of us to deal with a crowd. In addition, they mix with the bathers and this creates a lot of confusion. They get hurt on the fence and it is more difficult.
They also warn of the drownings that have been recorded. Many of them know how to swim just enough and then there are tragedies. We have seen very dramatic scenes. The presence of the Group of Specialists in Underwater Activities (GEAS) displaced in Ceuta due to the situation is a patch for the guards. The aim is to expand and consolidate staff in a territory that is particularly sensitive to migration.
The spokesperson for Jucilthe majority group of the Civil Guard, Mila Vicourged the minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska to intervene. Our colleagues are making a titanic effort, intervening and participating in this migration crisis beyond their responsibilities, while the Administration is not providing the necessary support.
