Melilla border fence
Encyclopedia
The Melilla border fence is a separation barrier
between Morocco
and the Spanish
city of Melilla
. Constructed by Spain, its stated purpose is to stop illegal immigration
and smuggling
.
migrants tried to climb over the fences in several waves moving upon Melilla
. About 700 made it past the fences while six died in clashes with Moroccan security forces.
Before the third fence came to be implemented following this and similar incidents, the mountainous buffer zone
between Spanish and Moroccan border patrol positions that lies next to the fence registered a hectic activity with sub-Saharan people provisionally camped there while preparing massive assaults on the fence, something which became a tactic in order to outnumber the Spanish border patrols.
issue. This prompted the Spanish government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
in 2005 to build up a third fence next to the two deteriorated existing ones, in order to completely seal the border outside of the regular checkpoints.
This third razor wire
barrier cost Spain €33 million to construct. It consists of 11 km (6.8 mi) of parallel 3 m (10 ft) high fence
s topped with barbed wire
, with regular watchposts and a road
running between them to accommodate either police patrols or ambulance service in case of need. Underground cables connect spotlights, noise and movement sensors, and video cameras to a central control booth. In 2005 its height has been doubled to 6 m since the immigrants were climbing the previous fences equipped with home-made steps. Also, in order to facilitate the intruders' detention, devices to slow them harmlessly were added.
So far the new fence has succeeded in deterring new massive intrusions and the subsaharian camp sites in the buffer zone have mostly disbanded.
From these, Amnesty International
and Médecins Sans Frontières
accused the Moroccan government of dumping over 500 people of various subsaharan countries (some of them claiming to be validly registered as political refugees) in an uninhabited area of the Sahara Desert without food or water supplies.
Morocco has objected to the construction of the barrier since it does not recognise Spanish sovereignty in Melilla.
Separation barrier
A separation barrier is a wall or fence constructed to limit the movement of people across a certain line or border, or to separate two populations. These structures vary in placement with regard to international borders and topography...
between Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
city of Melilla
Melilla
Melilla is a autonomous city of Spain and an exclave on the north coast of Morocco. Melilla, along with the Spanish exclave Ceuta, is one of the two Spanish territories located in mainland Africa...
. Constructed by Spain, its stated purpose is to stop illegal immigration
Illegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration into a nation in violation of the immigration laws of that jurisdiction. Illegal immigration raises many political, economical and social issues and has become a source of major controversy in developed countries and the more successful developing countries.In...
and smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
.
Recent history
In September 2005 some thousands of sub-SaharanSub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
migrants tried to climb over the fences in several waves moving upon Melilla
Melilla
Melilla is a autonomous city of Spain and an exclave on the north coast of Morocco. Melilla, along with the Spanish exclave Ceuta, is one of the two Spanish territories located in mainland Africa...
. About 700 made it past the fences while six died in clashes with Moroccan security forces.
Before the third fence came to be implemented following this and similar incidents, the mountainous buffer zone
Buffer zone
A buffer zone is generally a zonal area that lies between two or more other areas , but depending on the type of buffer zone, the reason for it may be to segregate regions or to conjoin them....
between Spanish and Moroccan border patrol positions that lies next to the fence registered a hectic activity with sub-Saharan people provisionally camped there while preparing massive assaults on the fence, something which became a tactic in order to outnumber the Spanish border patrols.
Renovation
Massive intrusions of sub-Saharan people via Melilla had become a Spanish issue and, to some extent, a European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
issue. This prompted the Spanish government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party . He was elected for two terms as Prime Minister of Spain, in the 2004 and 2008 general elections. On 2 April 2011 he announced he will not stand for re-election in 2012...
in 2005 to build up a third fence next to the two deteriorated existing ones, in order to completely seal the border outside of the regular checkpoints.
Razor wire
Barbed tape or razor wire is a mesh of metal strips with sharp edges whose purpose is to prevent passage by humans. The term "razor wire", through long usage, has generally been used to describe barbed tape products...
barrier cost Spain €33 million to construct. It consists of 11 km (6.8 mi) of parallel 3 m (10 ft) high fence
Fence
A fence is a freestanding structure designed to restrict or prevent movement across a boundary. It is generally distinguished from a wall by the lightness of its construction: a wall is usually restricted to such barriers made from solid brick or concrete, blocking vision as well as passage .Fences...
s topped with barbed wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
, with regular watchposts and a road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
running between them to accommodate either police patrols or ambulance service in case of need. Underground cables connect spotlights, noise and movement sensors, and video cameras to a central control booth. In 2005 its height has been doubled to 6 m since the immigrants were climbing the previous fences equipped with home-made steps. Also, in order to facilitate the intruders' detention, devices to slow them harmlessly were added.
So far the new fence has succeeded in deterring new massive intrusions and the subsaharian camp sites in the buffer zone have mostly disbanded.
From these, Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
and Médecins Sans Frontières
Médecins Sans Frontières
' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
accused the Moroccan government of dumping over 500 people of various subsaharan countries (some of them claiming to be validly registered as political refugees) in an uninhabited area of the Sahara Desert without food or water supplies.
Morocco has objected to the construction of the barrier since it does not recognise Spanish sovereignty in Melilla.
