Jimu News Reporter Zhang Yang
On June 25, local time, according to Moroccan national television, a large-scale cross-border incident occurred from Morocco into the Spanish enclave Melilla , and the death toll has risen to 23 people.
" Guardian " quoted a statement from the local delegation of the Spanish government as saying that at dawn this Friday, about 2,000 people approached the Melilla border and attempted to forcibly cross the border between the two places. More than 500 people were using The scissors managed to enter the border control area after cutting through the fence.
Riot police cordoned off the area
Moroccan officials said late on Friday that 13 people had died of serious injuries in addition to the five people confirmed dead earlier in the day. As of Saturday evening, five more deaths were confirmed, bringing the death toll to 23.
"Some people were injured falling from the top of the wall," a Moroccan official said, adding that some 140 security personnel and 76 border crossers were injured while trying to cross.
The local delegation of the Spanish government stated that 49 Spanish police officers were slightly injured. It said earlier in a statement that Morocco had deployed a large number of troops to try to repel crosser attacks on the border and that they were "actively cooperating" with Spanish security forces.
Pictures in Spanish media showed border crossers lying on sidewalks in Melilla, some covered in blood and with their clothes torn. Speaking in Brussels, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the "violent attacks", which he blamed on the "human trafficking mafia".
It is reported that Melilla is a small enclave of Spain in North Africa . Therefore, it has become the only land border connecting EU with Africa, which also makes it a "magnet" for attracting African refugees. Over the years, thousands of people have tried to cross the 12-kilometer border between Melilla and Morocco by climbing fences, swimming along the coast or hiding in vehicles.
People climb the fence that separates Melilla from Morocco
In March, Spain ended a year-long diplomatic crisis by supporting Morocco's plan for Western Sahara autonomy, restoring its decades-long neutrality. . Sanchez later visited the country, where the two governments praised the "new phase" in relations.
Just days before Morocco and Spain mended ties, there had been several attempted mass border crossings into Melilla, one involving 2,500 people, the largest on record, which had nearly 500 people Passed successfully. This week's cross-border incident is the first large-scale cross-border incident since the two countries restored diplomatic relations.
The patched-up relationship with Morocco means a drop in sneak arrivals, especially in Spain's Canary Islands. Government data shows that 70% fewer people arrived in the Canary Islands in April than in February.
NATO will hold a summit in Madrid from June 29 to 30. Spain will seek to list "irregular migration" as one of the security threats on NATO's southern flank. Sanchez warned earlier this month that "Spain will not tolerate any use of the tragedy of illegal immigration as a means of pressure".
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