Spain beefs up African enclave security after hundreds storm border
MELILLA, Spain
1 of 2. 25-year-old
Hussein from Mali (C) walks next to support tents mounted on Tuesday,
outside a refugee centre in Spain's north African enclave Melilla March
19, 2014.
Credit: Reuters/Juan Medina
Madrid sent 100 more police on Tuesday and Wednesday, raising the total to 150, a source at the Interior Ministry said, and will reinforce the rapid response unit with 20 more personnel, bringing the total to 80.
Immigrants from all over Africa regularly dare the razor-wire fences of Spanish enclaves Ceuta and Melilla, which are surrounded by Moroccan territory and sea. The numbers have multiplied as increased naval patrols discourage attempts to get to Europe by boat.
Some 1,074 people breached the 12-kilometre-long fences around Melilla in the whole of 2013, according to the source, and more than 1,600 have done so since the beginning of 2014.
Once in Melilla or Ceuta, the immigrants are fed and given clothes and beds in special centers.
Many end up in continental Spain and either stay there or travel elsewhere in Europe.
Young men gathered at the center in Melilla said on Wednesday they were happy to have come down from the mountains surrounding the enclave, where many had spent months living rough waiting for a chance to rush the border.
"We've made it! We've passed into Europe," said one of a group of men from countries including Guinea, Mali, the Ivory Coast and Togo.
The internment center where immigrants await processing has been overwhelmed, prompting the army to put up tents around it.
There are now around 1,800 people housed in a facility with an official capacity of 480.
In February, the European Union asked Spain to explain why police had fired rubber bullets in warning when a group of African migrants tried to wade and swim to Ceuta. Fifteen died drowning and the shots could have caused panic among the migrants, according to Cecilia Malmstrom, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs.
In October more than 360 people drowned within sight of Lampedusa, an Italian island off Tunisia that has long been a magnet for migrants.
Italian naval and coastguard vessels have rescued more than 2,000 migrants travelling in boats from North Africa over the past 48 hours, authorities said on Wednesday.
Talks on a more coordinated, EU-wide solution have made little progress, despite attempts by countries like Spain and Italy to persuade northern neighbors to share the burden of the immigrant tide.
Spain beefs up African security after border run
Taylor Liggines (3rd period)
ReplyDeleteI think the article is sad because they go through so much where they come from and they get little to no help. I disliked and liked this article. I disliked it because I never knew the bad things that are happening over seas in Africa, Europe, and Spain, but mainly Arica. It made me feel a little selfish. I'm always worried about what I don't have when I should be appreciative of what I do have and worry about the things Africans do not have. This does not relate to my life at all.
-Jeralin Banyon 7th period
ReplyDeleteThis article really interests me because of Africa, being that I'm African American. It's sad to see that 360 people drowned trying to go somewhere else to have a better life. It really amkes you want to not take anything you have for granted. Whether it may be education, shelter, food, etc. We should appreciate it because its people struggling out here in this world.
it is really sad to see 360 people drowning , if we just read about this and we feel bad for them how they gonna feel about that when the watch each other , oh gosh i hope them they will get a better life!
ReplyDeletehana abdelraouf . 2nd period
I actually like how they are letting people in and keeping them safe but I don't understand why they won't let them leave.
ReplyDeleteI honestly think this is sad. Something that's sad about it is all of the people that has drowned. I don't think that is a good living situation. I couldn't imagine if that was me.
ReplyDeleteI think it's sad to hear about people drowned trying to go somewhere to be safe or have a better life. I don't see why they just didn't let the people go. It's just sad!
ReplyDeleteTyra Lewis
5th Period
Wow!! I had no idea this was even happening in Africa.Matter of fact,I don't know if half of the U.S. knew about what was going on there.It's sad how so many people drowned trying to get to a safe place.It's even more disappointing because finding out that this happened out of nowhere is just sad.This article taught me to start keeping up with things that's going on in this world.
ReplyDeleteIts sad to hear that people had lost there lives trying to get somewhere safe and i didn't know that so much was going over there but im glad that they're letting people stay in housing units
ReplyDelete