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
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
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