an Roque 30 AUG 2019 – 14:37 BST
CEUTA (Spain), Aug 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 150 migrants crossed the border fence at Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta and briefly clashed with police on Friday, the biggest attempt to enter across the heavily guarded barrier in a year.
The incident took place on the same day that a separate group of 15 migrants rescued at sea arrived in the mainland port of San Roque aboard a Spanish warship from Italy, a high profile case that has drawn attention to Europe’s migration crisis.
The caretaker Socialist administration has drawn criticism at home for its handling of the rescued migrants after Italy’s refusal to take them in.
The far-right party Vox was quick to blame its soft stance for triggering the Ceuta incident, by creating what it labelled “a call effect”. The government said the Ceuta incident was prompted by migrants there taking advantage of thick fog.
Cabinet spokeswoman Isabel Celaa told a briefing the number of illegal entries into Spain was down 47 per cent this year.
In a special parliament session a day earlier, some parties criticised the government for accepting the migrants rejected by Italy, while others criticised it for not doing so more quickly.
At least six Spanish police officers and some of the illegal migrants suffered minor injuries in Ceuta, according to a government spokesman in the city, who added, however, that the incident was “not as violent as in the past”.
“Around 250 migrants tried to jump over the fence and some 155 made it,” the spokesman said.
Television footage showed a large group of shirtless young men chanting “Boza!”, or “victory” in the Fula language spoken in western Africa, as they were chased by police. One of the men shouted “Respect!” in Spanish.
A group was later shown sitting on the ground surrounded by police. Some had cuts from razor wire, others were washing their eyes with water after apparent contact with tear gas.
The Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla on Morocco’s northern coast are a magnet for illegal African migrants trying to reach Europe in search of a better life. The enclaves are surrounded by a 6-metre-high fence topped with razor wire.
In the last big attempt, in August last year, 600 migrants attempted to jump the fence and 118 made it onto Spanish soil. Most were later returned to Morocco. The previous month, more than 400 crossed. — NNN-AGENCIES
