52 refugees forcibly enter Spanish enclave in North Africa
Fifty two African refugees forced their way into Spain's North African enclave of Melilla from Morocco Sunday by climbing over a towering border fence, Spanish authorities said.
About 100 refugees tried to storm the barbed wire fence at dawn but Spanish and Moroccan security forces prevented "around half" from entering Melilla, the Spanish interior ministry in Melilla said in a statement.
One refugee was taken to a medical center to treat cuts he suffered scaling the fence while four Spanish police officers sustained bruises, it added.
Police arrested one of the refugees for assaulting an officer.
Video images published by local newspaper El Faro de Ceuta showed sweaters and jackets stuck to the razor wire that tops the border fence, left behind by the refugees.
The 52 who managed to enter Melilla were taken to a temporary refugee accommodation center where, they were given new clothes.
It was the biggest assault on the border between Melilla and Morocco since October 2018, when some 300 refugees stormed the fence.
About 200 refugees managed to get into Melilla that time, and one died of a suspected heart attack in the attempt.
Spain's two North African enclaves, Melilla and Ceuta, have the European Union's only land borders with Africa.
They are often used as entry points into Europe for African refugees, who either climb over their border fences or try to swim along the coast.
(Source: AFP)
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