Melilla: Five dead and many injured in a storm on the Spanish border

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Border guards and migrants in Melilla

Photo: Javier Bernardo/AP

Around 2,000 migrants tried to reach the Spanish exclave of Melilla from Morocco on Friday – five migrants were killed and dozens more were injured.

As the representation of the Spanish government in Melilla announced, the migrants stormed the border fence in the morning.

130 people from the countries south of the Sahara had penetrated into the exclave.

According to a representative of the Moroccan authorities, five migrants died trying to climb the border fence.

Some fell from above the fence.

He spoke of more than 200 injured, including 140 members of the security staff and more than 70 migrants.

The Spanish authorities said 57 migrants were injured.

49 Spanish police officers were slightly injured.

Border fences with barbed wire, video cameras and guard platforms

The border fences are equipped with barbed wire, video cameras and guard platforms.

Images in Spanish media on Friday showed images of migrants lying exhausted on the sidewalk, some with bleeding hands and torn clothing.

Ceuta and Melilla, the EU's only land borders with Africa, are regular destinations for people hoping for a better life in Europe.

In recent years, thousands of migrants have attempted to cross the 12 km Melilla-Morocco border or the 8 km Ceuta-Morocco border by climbing fences, swimming or hiding in cars.

The migrants sometimes use hooks and sticks to climb the border fence.

The Spanish government made a diplomatic change of course in March after a long dispute over Morocco's Western Sahara policy.

Madrid recognized the Moroccan autonomy plan for the disputed area, which envisages, among other things, offering Western Sahara autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty.

Since then, ferry connections between Spain and Morocco have been resumed and police cooperation programs have been launched in the Spanish exclaves, among other places.

Before the dispute was settled, there had been cases in which the Moroccan side was accused of allowing migrants to march unhindered towards Ceuta and Melilla.

dop/AFP