About 2,500 migrants and refugees from countries in sub-Saharan Africa have tried cross the border fence separating the Spanish enclave of Melilla from Morocco, with about 500 managing to do so, in one of the largest influxes in recent years.
The people on Wednesday used “hooks” to scale the high fence that separates the tiny territory from Morocco and threw rocks at police, the Spanish government’s local delegation said in a statement.“The great violence used by the migrants … overwhelmed the Moroccan security forces who were trying to prevent them from reaching the fence,” it said.
Three Spanish Guardia Civil police suffered “slight injuries” in the incident and three migrants were also treated for injuries near the fence.
Melilla and Ceuta, another Spanish territory in North Africa, have the European Union’s only land borders with Africa.
They are favoured entry points for African migrants and refugees seeking a better life in Europe, who get there by either climbing over the border fence or by swimming along the coast.
Claimed by Morocco, the two cities have long been a flashpoint in diplomatic relations between Rabat and Madrid, which insists both are integral parts of Spain.In mid-May 2021, Spain was caught off guard when more than 10,000 people swam or used small inflatable boats to cross into Ceuta territory as the Moroccan border forces looked the other way.
The influx took place during a diplomatic crisis between Madrid and Rabat over Western Sahara, which has long pushed for independence from Morocco.
Madrid had angered Morocco by allowing the leader of Western Sahara’s independence movement into Spain for hospital treatment for a severe case of COVID-19, sparking a tetchy standoff between the two countries.
The unprecedented border breach was widely seen as a punitive move by Rabat. Last year, 1,092 migrants and refugees managed to enter Melilla, a 23 percent drop from 2020, according to interior ministry figures.
Up to 80 more migrants arrived in the UK today as the total for the year climbed above 1,750 a day after 230 people made the perilous boat crossing.
Dozens of people, wrapped in emergency foil blankets, hats and scarves, were seen being escorted to the port of Dover by UK officials shortly after midday.Yesterday's migrant crossings were the first since 132 people were picked up in the Channel during freezing conditions on February 26 - the second of two incidents reported for the whole month of February.
Including yesterday's incident, a total of 1,714 people have so far this year made the treacherous crossing in 58 boats. Today's tally will take the total above 1,750.
The first of yesterday's arrivals - the first migrants attempting to cross the Channel in March - were escorted to the Port of Dover by the RNLI before sunrise, amid heavy fog and rain.
A second group arrived in the UK on board Border Force cutter Searcher after 8am, with more migrants arriving in HMC Hunter a short while later. All were transferred to Border Force at Dover.
A further two groups - which included a toddler and a young child - were accompanied to the port by UK officials before midday via Border Force ship Hurricane and lifeboats.Later in the afternoon more migrants were brought to shore on board Border Force cutter Searcher, while another group was escorted into the UK by lifeboat shortly afterwards.
The final arrivals of the day came into Dover at around 5pm on Border Force vessel Hurricane - wrapped in coats and woolly hats.
All of the arrivals appeared to be suffering as a result of the choppy conditions at sea and could be seen clutching emergency foil blankets around their shoulders and heads.
This morning, flimsy rubber dinghies could be seen floating at sea and drifting ashore at Dover - one of which was punctured and partially deflated.