Hundreds of Sub-Saharans Storm Border Fence into Spanish Occupied Ceuta

Some 500 Sub-Saharan migrants stormed on Friday the border fence into the Spanish occupied enclave of Ceuta in northern Morocco triggering clashes with the Spanish police.

Several migrants were injured as they forced their way through a gate in the fence that separates Morocco from the Ceuta enclave. “The Civil Guard at Ceuta estimates that 500 people could have succeeded in entering the town,” said the Spanish emergency services on their twitter account.

The Civil Guard, or paramilitary police, meanwhile told AFP that “several hundreds” had crossed over and many of them were hurt along with members of the security forces.

Morocco’s Interior Ministry for its part said that Moroccan security forces prevented 210 migrants from jumping over the fence and arrested 110. Ten members of Moroccan security forces were injured in the operation, the ministry said.

The latest major attempt at crossing the fence took place on New Year’s Eve when Moroccan authorities thwarted the illegal immigration attempt by nearly 1000 Sub-Saharan nationals who tried to jump the six-meter barbed wire fence of the city of Ceuta.

Ceuta has been under Spanish occupation since the 16th century. Morocco claims the city along with the other Spanish occupied enclave of Mellilia as an integral part of its national territory.