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Hundreds of migrants cross into Spain's Ceuta in second wave in 3 days
African migrants react as they arrive at the CETI, the short-stay immigrant centre, after crossing the border from Morocco to Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, Spain, February 17, 2017. PHOTO BY REUTERS/Jesus Moron
20/02/2017
MADRID (Reuters) - Some 359 African migrants broke through the border fence between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta early on Monday, in a second mass push after about 500 migrants breached the fence on Friday.
More than 1,400 migrants are now waiting in the North African enclave to be processed, Ceuta authorities said, adding that tents had been requested to house the latest arrivals.
They must now wait to be transferred to the mainland to have their papers processed. Most are likely to be returned to Morocco or their country of origin.
Ceuta authorities said around 600 people had attempted to break into the enclave on Monday using wire cutters and blunt weapons, at the same location as on Friday.
Three people were hospitalised with serious injuries, including two police officers, after the rush to jump the six-metre, barbed-wire fence that surrounds Ceuta, the authorities said.
Spain's two North African enclaves, Ceuta on Morocco's northern point off the Strait of Gibraltar, and Melilla, which lies further to the east and closer to the Algerian border, are often the focus of attempted illegal border crossings.
African migrants attempt to climb fences or swim around the border along the coast as they seek an entry point into Europe.
More than 1,100 migrants attempted to cross into Ceuta in January, but most were turned back.
(Reporting by Paul Day; Editing by Catherine Evans)
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