Guardia Civil to watch over Straits with drones and by satellite

Camcopter S-100 helicopter drone

ALGECIRAS The frontier-watch unit of the Guardia Civil (FRONTEX) is to open a new era of innovation. The latest technology, as offered by helicopter drones and satellites, will be the starting point. Under the name 'Closeye' (sounds like a Hollywood spy movie, but isn't) the GC will be gradually incorporating new systems to its effort at stopping smugglers and 'illegal' immigrants from crossing the Straits of Gibraltar. This is a first for similar European operations, and consists of three phases, the first of which is experimental, aimed at fine tuning the systems to be used.

Foreigners must show they reside legally in Spain to receive medical treatment

Not clear about how this affects EU citizens

SPAIN (Agencies) The Government is to reform the law on foreigners to harden the requirements for legal residence. Those who do not qualify will only have access to the basic medical treatment that is available to all: emergencies and maternity. This measure, which is aimed at curtailing abuse of the system, is likely to impact enormously on the approximately half million 'illegal' immigrants the country hosts. It will no longer be enough to show a Certificado de Empadronamiento (registration at one's local town hall) to obtain a tarjeta sanitaria (which is coupled with the Social Security card). Anyone seeking this medical card will be investigated to make sure they reside legally in Spain and that they pay their taxes. How this affects the EU regulations regarding citizens of the Union is as yet to be clarified, but it is generally expected that application of the laws will be considerably tightened.

Person dies falling off jet ski

Punta Paloma beach

TARIFA (Europa Sur) A person was rescued yesterday after swimmers close to Punta Paloma, in military zone, saw three people on a jet ski approach the beach. Two of them seemed to fall off the back while  the jetski made off. Someone called the 112 emergency number at 18:28 and the Red Cross, Guardia Civil, Protección Civil and Salvamento Marítimo (Sea Rescue) were mobilized immediately. One of the two people in the water survived and managed to reach land, the other was taken out dead, and the jetski, with driver, was intercepted and brought in. The GC is investigating the matter but sources are inclined to believe this is yet another illegal immigration event.

Swimmer caught in port

Port of Algeciras

ALGECIRAS (Agencies) A man was caught yesterday swimming with great difficulty in the waters of the port in Algeciras. He managed to reach the new stairway installed recently, that lead to the Llano Amarillo parking lot. He was intercepted by the police and arrested for illegal immigration. His final stretch was no less dangerous than the way he would probably have arrived in the first place:  throwing himself off a boat or a ferry to swim the last few yards, or underneath a lorry transporting produce from Morocco, clinging perilously to the undercarriage until deciding to avoid the customs area and heading off to sea in the hope of reaching land and not getting caught. This man's dream of a better life came to an end on Saturday at midday.

Jumping back to poverty

CEUTA (Agencies) It had never happened before: an 'illegal' immigrant tried to jump back over the fence from Ceuta to Morocco in an attempt to eventually return to his native Mali. Omar Chuick set off the alarms along a portion of the 8.2 kilometres of barbed wire fencing (photo) and the Guardia Civil didn´t believe his story when they reached the spot. Having arrived by boat, he was fed up with  waiting for access to the peninsula for four years and had lost hope. He said he would try again, this way or some other, if he got the chance. Reports say that Chuick was not actually arrested, only warned that he was trespassing but that he would now be sent to the Temporary Immigration Centre, where he had not previously been registered. The authorities believe that he had been sleeping in or around the port (for four years!). Mali is the seventh largest country on the African continent, and one of its poorest. With a population of some 12 million inhabitants, its borders are Algeria to the North, Niger to the East, Mauritania and Senegal to the West and Ivory Coast, Guinea and Burkina Faso to the South.

'Illegal' immigrant dies, tied to bottom of lorry

ALGECIRAS (Agencies) A 24 year old man was removed from underneath a lorry to which he had been tied in an attempt to enter Europe illegally. The fire brigade was called to the port's lorry park at Isla Verde on Monday night. The man, with initials D.S. obtained from an out-of-date work permit he had on him, was unconscious when the medical services arrived, so he was taken to the Punta de Europa Hospital in Algeciras, where he was diagnosed with a serious case of hypothermia. The lorry entered Spain from Tangier. This is not an unusual way for people trying to reach Europe to attempt it. (Prospero note: one more such tragedy born of poverty and corruption in their country of origin. The inverted commas on the word 'illegal' in the headline are just my way of pointing out what I once saw as graphitti on a wall: "No human being is illegal.")

Mancomunidad's Immigration Service

Mancomunidad de Municipios del Campo de Gibraltar is resuming its Legal Advice Service for Immigrants, subsidised by the Junta's Consejería para la Igualdad y el Bienestar Social. The service, which has been in operation for a number of years, offers information and advice to the immigrant population on such matters as their legal status, rights and obligations, among others. The service is available in Tarifa, Los Barrios, San Roque, Jimena and Castellar. Anyone wishing to use the service can ask at their local Social Services office, at the Centro de Formación, Empleo y Asuntos Sociales de la Mancomunidad de Municipios del Campo de Gibraltar (photo) by calling 956 690 409, or online at asesoria.inmigracion@mancomunidadcg.es.