The Ceuta border fence forms part of the Morocco-Spain border at Ceuta, a city on the North African coast. Constructed by Spain, its purpose is to stop illegal immigration and smuggling. Morocco objected to the construction of the barrier since it does not recognize Spanish sovereignty in Ceuta.
Ceuta is an integral part of Spain, and therefore of the European Union; its border and its equivalent in Melilla are the only two land borders between the European Union and an African country.
The fence consists of parallel 6 metre (20-foot) fences topped with barbed wire, with regular watchposts and a road running between them to accommodate 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; dozens of Guard ships and patrol boats check the coast, while 621 Guardia Civil officers and 548 police officers control the shore.
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History
In 1993 an 8.4 km (5.2 mi) fence was built around the exclave. As the first fence was too easy to cross the construction of a new system started in 1995. In 2005 an increase of height was made, from 3 to 6 m (9 ft 10 in to 19 ft 8 in).
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Breaches
2005 attempted border breach
On 7 October 2005, the border-fence was assaulted by hundreds of migrants, creating international attention. Caught between the Spanish rubber bullets and Moroccan gunfire, a number of migrants died (sources put the number of deaths between thirteen and eighteen people) and more than fifty were injured. Some of the dead were wounded by live ammunition; of those, two died on the Spanish side of the fence, apparently shot from the Moroccan positions. The 2005 events at the Ceuta and Melilla border fences are the subject of a documentary film, Victimes de nos richesses.
Since then, migrants have occasionally died while trying to break through the fence.
2016 breach
The fence was breached by an organised group of 400 illegal entrants in December 2016.
2017 breach
On 17 February 2017 an estimated 600 would-be illegal immigrants, some of whom were armed with clubs and shears, broke through the security gates; 300 of them are reported to have entered Ceuta where police are attempting to locate them.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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