Melilla's border fence in 1970: when 1.20 metres was enough
In 1970, Melilla's fence in Spain stood just 1.20 m tall and a single legionnaire guarded it. Why it worked then and not now: the economic context explains it.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Melilla's 1970 fence: 1.20 metres that actually worked
In 1970, the Melilla border in Spain was protected by a fence barely 1.20 metres high and a single legionnaire armed with a CETME rifle and 80 rounds. It worked. The paradox: while today six-metre walls are being built and electronic systems deployed that fail to contain migratory pressure, half a century ago a simple wire fence and one soldier were enough. The explanation lies not in the height of the fence, but in the economic context.
The dictatorship and Spanish emigration
Spain was then a poor country under a dictatorship. More than two million Spaniards had emigrated to Europe in search of work. There was no free movement within the EU – Spain was not even a member of the Community – nor did the welfare state that attracts migrants today exist. The fence stopped no one because there were no incentives to cross. As the analyses point out, the real barrier was economic.
The myth of military deterrence
Some argue that its effectiveness was due to the toughness of the legionnaire, ready to shoot without hesitation. Anecdotes from the era – such as the order to 'not seek it, but not lose it' – feed that view. Yet Spain's shock troops failed to prevent the loss of Ifni (1969) or the Sahara (1975). A border is no stronger than the will of the people defending it, but neither is it stronger than the prosperity the enemy seeks.
From wire fence to fortress: an economic mirror
The contrast with today is stark. The same place, 50 years later, has six-metre fences, razor wire, sensors and Civil Guard officers. Crossings happen en masse. The change is not in border technology, but in the appeal of the other side. Spain went from being a country of emigration to one of immigration when its economy converged with Europe's and a welfare system was established. The 1970 fence was not more effective; it simply had no work to do.
The lesson is uncomfortable for those seeking technical solutions to human problems: a border is worth what the well-being it protects is worth. The 1970 fence did not protect against poverty, because poverty was on the inside. Today, the wall faces wealth. And wealth calls.
Related discussions in the forum
In 1970, the Melilla border in Spain was protected by a fence barely 1.20 metres high and a single legionnaire armed with a CETME rifle and 80 rounds. It worked. The paradox: while today six-metre walls are being built and electronic systems deployed that fail to contain migratory pressure, half a century ago a simple wire fence and one soldier were enough. The explanation lies not in the height of the fence, but in the economic context.
The dictatorship and Spanish emigration
Spain was then a poor country under a dictatorship. More than two million Spaniards had emigrated to Europe in search of work. There was no free movement within the EU – Spain was not even a member of the Community – nor did the welfare state that attracts migrants today exist. The fence stopped no one because there were no incentives to cross. As the analyses point out, the real barrier was economic.
The myth of military deterrence
Some argue that its effectiveness was due to the toughness of the legionnaire, ready to shoot without hesitation. Anecdotes from the era – such as the order to 'not seek it, but not lose it' – feed that view. Yet Spain's shock troops failed to prevent the loss of Ifni (1969) or the Sahara (1975). A border is no stronger than the will of the people defending it, but neither is it stronger than the prosperity the enemy seeks.
From wire fence to fortress: an economic mirror
The contrast with today is stark. The same place, 50 years later, has six-metre fences, razor wire, sensors and Civil Guard officers. Crossings happen en masse. The change is not in border technology, but in the appeal of the other side. Spain went from being a country of emigration to one of immigration when its economy converged with Europe's and a welfare system was established. The 1970 fence was not more effective; it simply had no work to do.
The lesson is uncomfortable for those seeking technical solutions to human problems: a border is worth what the well-being it protects is worth. The 1970 fence did not protect against poverty, because poverty was on the inside. Today, the wall faces wealth. And wealth calls.
Related discussions in the forum
- Surprise at a bar in Valencia: the unexpected surcharge that appeared on the bill after breakfast · 148 replies
- New superhero in Spain, his name: The Black Heron. Video inside. · 63 replies
- The red thread. Poor-man's-fascists need not enter. · 12774 replies
- Begoña Gómez, Diana Sarracena and the heads of the Complutense don't know where to hide after this. · 208 replies
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (72 replies).
More summaries
-
Countdown to the mass rush on Melilla's border fence in Spain
August 15 points to a mass crossing attempt in Melilla, Spain: Morocco, the border fence and a deployment of just four soldiers mark an unresolved dilemma.
-
Melilla border fence: the controversy that avoids talking economics
Audio of women encouraging people to climb the Melilla fence has fuelled conspiracy theories and sexism in Spain, while the underlying economic debate is ignored.
-
Tarajal: the economy behind the fence jumps into Spain
The Tarajal border crossing reopens Spain's migration standoff, drowning the economic debate on costs, demographics and border policy in Ceuta and Melilla.
-
Colau says she left her flat of 15 years because she couldn't afford it
Ada Colau says she is leaving the flat where she lived for 15 years because one salary wasn't enough; Newtral puts her salary as mayor at €96,000 gross
-
Spain's productivity problem: an insightful interview with the Economy Minister's advisor
Spain's INE statistics office revised productivity growth down to 0.5% a year. Its advisory council says a 10% gain per worker would give the state an extra €60 billion.
-
The 'engineer' who brags about stolen phones in Spain
A video shows a young man displaying several stolen iPhones in Barcelona, Spain. Calculating the VAT and income tax on one night's work reopens the debate on the…