Spanish law enforcement announced today that 52 undocumented sub-Saharan migrants climbed the fence separating the north-eastern locality of Ouled M’hammed in the province of Nador from the Spanish enclave of Melilla.
Rabat – Spanish law enforcement announced today that 52 undocumented sub-Saharan migrants climbed the fence separating the north-eastern locality of Ouled M’hammed in the province of Nador from the Spanish enclave of Melilla.
Police were able to arrest 40 individuals, while 52 others managed to climb the guarded fence to reach the Spanish enclave.
Maghreb Arab Press (MAP) reported that seven security members and two sub-Saharans were injured during the attempt. The injured people were taken to Nador’s provincial hospital to receive immediate medical care.
The incident comes after a recent interview with Morocco’s migration and border control chief Khalid Zerouali, who at the time of the interview claimed that there had been a notable decrease of irregular migration attempts at the border fences of the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla thanks to Morocco’s efforts to curb the migration issue.
Read also: Official: Morocco’s Efforts Helps Reduce Irregular Migration’s Pressure on Spain
Other irregular migration crossings via sea routes and the security fences of the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla have been stopped jointly by Moroccan and Spanish security.
In October 2018, 300 sub-Saharans stormed the Melilla border fence. The incident caused the injury of 12 Moroccan soldiers. Police managed to arrest 141 migrants during the operation. That irregular migration attempt claimed the life of one migrant who fell from the fence while 22 other sub-Saharans were injured by barbed wire.
