Ceuta: one soldier per patrol allowed live ammunition

One rifle per patrol in Ceuta: self-defence kept to a minimum

One month after the outbreak of the migration crisis in Ceuta, Spain's Ministry of Defence has authorised the troops deployed in the autonomous city to use their firearms in self-defence. The problem lies in the small print: the measure allows only one member of each patrol to carry their standard-issue weapon with live ammunition. Before, they patrolled unarmed or with unloaded weapons.

ATME's criticism: "ridiculous"

The Spanish Association of Troops and Sailors (Asociación de Tropa y Marinería Española) was quick to denounce the inadequacy of the directive. Its argument is graphic: it would be like sending a group of five street cleaners out to sweep and handing the broom to just one of them. The association has long been demanding that patrols have real means of self-defence, especially after the mass attempts to enter the city recorded a month ago.

Alternatives that fail to convince the troops

Some voices within the ranks propose intermediate solutions, such as equipping each soldier with a taser, a non-lethal option that would avoid resorting to the assault rifle. Others, however, believe the problem is not the weapon but the strategy: cordoning off entry points and controlling migrant flows with sufficient personnel. The general feeling is that the measure comes too late and in the wrong form, like a cosmetic patch.

The question remains: does a single weapon per patrol deter those trying to cross the border? Or, as some analyses wryly suggest, is the Defence Ministry aware that live ammunition is more about protocol than actual use? The answer lies not on paper, but on the ground.