Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 25. Moroccan officials said on the 24th that a large number of immigrants tried to cross the border into the Spanish autonomous municipality of Melilla in North Africa . They clashed with Moroccan security forces and 18 immigrants died. .
According to reports from Morocco and Spain, about 2,000 immigrants tried to climb over the tall wire fence into Melilla that day, and clashes broke out with Moroccan security forces, which lasted for about two hours.
On June 18, 2014, people trying to immigrate climbed the border fence in Melilla, Spain's North African enclave. Xinhua News Agency /AFP
The Moroccan Interior Ministry initially reported that five people died and 76 people were injured after falling from the fence or being trampled. Later, the Ministry of Interior reported that 13 more people had died. About 140 security force personnel were injured, five of them seriously.
Spain reported that from about 8:40 that day, more than 500 immigrants began to enter Melilla. Some people cut the fence wire and climbed over the roof of the border checkpoint. Most of the migrants were deported, but about 130 people still entered Melilla and began processing immigration-related matters at the immigration reception center.
Videos circulating on social media showed many African-American youths walking on the road next to the fence to celebrate entering Melilla.
Spain said the incident resulted in injuries to 57 migrants and 49 Spanish security personnel.
Melilla and Ceuta are two Spanish enclaves located on the Mediterranean coast of northern Morocco. In recent years, traveling from Morocco to Spain has become one of the main routes for illegal immigrants to Europe.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez 4 condemned the latest immigration crossing incident on the 24th, saying that it was a "well-organized violent attack" launched by the "people smuggling mafia".
Sanchez expressed his respect for the border guards of the two countries and emphasized the "need to establish the best relations" between Spain and Morocco.
On May 18, 2021, migrants climbed over the border fence from Morocco trying to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Xinhua News Agency reported that within a few days starting on May 17 last year, more than 8,000 border crossers from Morocco entered Ceuta from the sea by swimming or boating. Agence France-Presse quoted Ceuta officials as saying that the number of people crossing the border in a short period of time was unprecedented. Reuters reported that there was a diplomatic friction between Spain and Morocco at that time, and then Morocco seemed to relax its border defenses.
In March this year, Spain announced its support for Morocco's plan for Western Sahara autonomy. Algeria subsequently recalled its ambassador to Spain, and in June announced the suspension of the treaty on relations with Spain. Morocco and Algeria have long-term tensions over the Western Sahara issue, and the land border between the two countries has been closed.
Regarding the latest border crossing incident, Reuters quoted a Moroccan immigration organization as saying that Moroccan security personnel have recently stepped up their crackdown on illegal immigrants. On the 23rd, they clashed with immigrants while clearing the tents set up by immigrants in the forest near Melilla. (Zheng Haoning)
