The Civil Guard Command in Ceuta say they have been overwhelmed by the rising numbers of migrants trying to jump the border fence into the region.
And some officers have even been attacked as they try to prevent illegal border crossings.
Data reveals there has been a huge increase in new arrivals in Ceuta – with agents intercepting 2,661 migrants since October 2016, a rise of 71 per cent over the previous 12 months.
Now the Colonel of the Civil Guard Command in Ceuta, José Luis Gómez Salinero demanded a new fence is installed until the increase dies down.
He blamed the “current lack of resources” and the inefficiency of the defensive perimeter, which he says “has stopped fulfilling its purpose” of stopping illegal entrances.
And he insisted it needed to be replaced “with a new and effective early detection system” that includes technological equipment and passive obstacles capable of deterring, stopping or, at least, hindering the passage.
He added that he believes the current ineffective fence could cause an increase of human trafficking into Spain, as some smugglers have a good knowledge of where exactly the current fence is failing.
Mr Gómez Salinero added that his officers have also seen a rise in the number of assaults they have been subjected to due to the increase in numbers.
He said that guards who patrol the fence have been attacked by “very young and very physically fit” migrants with “hand-made knives” and “unusual violence”.
So far 29 guards have received treatment in health centres after these attacks in the last year, according to official data.
Just two months ago, dozens of sub-Saharan migrants crossed into Spain from Morocco in the early hours of the morning after running through a border gate into the enclave of Ceuta, emergency services said.
In August, a group of more than 100 migrants ran through one gate in the fence usually used as a border control, surprising Moroccan and Spanish security forces, a witness told Reuters.
The Red Cross said it had assisted 186 people following the morning rush across the border, adding four migrants were taken to a hospital.
Migrants frequently attempt to storm the borders of Spain’s two enclaves in northern Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, often clambering up fences which are up to six metres tall and topped by razor wire.
Once inside Spain’s enclaves, migrants are usually taken to temporary shelters and later moved to the Spanish mainland, or returned to their country of origin.
Many migrants try to enter Spain as a means of reaching other parts of Europe.
Arrivals through Ceuta and Melilla, as well as the number of migrants attempting to cross into Spain by sea from North Africa has risen this year, although the route between Libya and Italy remains the most popular.