The professional association of the Civil Guard JUCIL has urged this Wednesday the Ministry of the Interior to implement an effective plan for the maintenance, repair, and renewal of the resources of the Provincial Maritime Service of the Benemérita in the Region of Murcia.
In a public note, the organization has warned that the lack of operability of some of the vessels "seriously reduces the operational capacity of the agents to monitor the coastline" and to react to the arrival by sea of people in irregular situations.
According to the data provided by JUCIL, two of the four vessels available in the province are currently out of service, while a third is suffering mechanical problems that limit its speed to "between 22 and 23 knots."
The fourth vessel, an intervened semi-rigid, "cannot be considered a real alternative to a provincial patrol boat" against the so-called "taxi boats" equipped with high-power engines.
"Civil guards cannot be expected to meet the needs of the 21st-century coastline with vessels that have been accumulating breakdowns for years and that, in some cases, cannot even provide service," the association has denounced.
The entity has warned of an increase in operational pressure in the area, estimating that "only in August there would have already been more than 500 arrivals of immigrants in the Cabo de Palos-Cartagena area," to which a similar or even greater figure should be added if the entire Murcian coastline is considered.
In light of this situation, JUCIL has requested the General Directorate of the Civil Guard an urgent review of the patrol boats, the replacement of units that have exhausted their useful life, a temporary reinforcement of resources, and an analysis of the needs for personnel with specific training.
"A new vessel is of no use if there are not enough specialized professionals to ensure its presence at sea, cover shifts, and respond simultaneously to the different incidents that may occur in such an extensive coastline," they point out.
"The situation in Murcia should serve to put an end to a minimum policy regarding maritime resources. The safety of the agents, the monitoring of borders, and the fight against criminal networks require modern vessels, fully operational and adapted to the current reality," concludes the association.