Hundreds of Africans cross into Spain's Melilla for 2nd day
Hundreds of people have tried for a second day to climb over the fences that separate a Spanish city in North Africa from Morocco
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Hundreds of people tried for a second day to climb over the fences that separate a Spanish city in North Africa from Morocco, authorities said Thursday.
The Spanish government's delegation in Melilla said 1,200 migrants attempted to scale the 6-meter (20-foot) barrier that perimeters the city and that 380 succeeded.
On Wednesday, an unprecedented 2,500 people tried to enter the city, resulting in 491 crossings, according to local authorities.
Spanish security forces activated an “anti-intrusion” mechanism early Thursday to confront what the government's delegation described as “extreme violence” by trespassers who “threw stones, used hooks and sticks” at border agents.
Four Civil Guard officers were treated for injuries at a local hospital, Sabrina Moh, the central government's delegate in the city, said at a news conference.
People fleeing poverty or violence sometimes use group incursion attempts to reach Melilla and the other Spanish territory on the North Africa coast, Ceuta, as a springboard to continental Europe.
Moh said the ones who succeeded this week were transferred to the local migrant center, and authorities were evaluating their circumstances.
Melilla's border security with Morocco will be reinforced with 84 National Police and Civil Guard officers, Moh said..
Various nonprofits working with migrants in Melilla, including Solidary Wheels, said in a statement that activists saw how Spanish authorities sent back to Morocco three migrants who were found sitting at the top of the fence on Wednesday.
Mass border pushbacks are illegal under international refugee treaties because they deny people the opportunity to apply for asylum, although European courts have justified them in some instances.
Authorities didn't immediately address the allegation.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of migration issues at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.