Around 1,100 African migrants attempt to enter Europe by storming the border fence between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

BARCELONA, SPAIN—More than 50 Moroccan and Spanish border guards were injured repelling around 1,100 African migrants who attempted to storm a border fence and enter Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta, Spanish authorities said Sunday.

A regional government spokesman told The Associated Press that 50 Moroccan and five Spanish border guards were injured early on Sunday when the large group of migrants tried to enter Spain.

The spokesman said two migrants managed to reach Spanish soil. Both were injured in scaling the six-metre-high border fence and were taken to a hospital by Spanish police. He spoke anonymously in line with government policy.

A further 100 migrants climbed the fence, but Spanish agents sent them directly back to Morocco.

Last month, more than 400 migrants succeeded in breaching Ceuta’s fence in one of the biggest crossing attempts of recent years. </s> Spanish authorities say hundreds of migrants have stormed border fences separating Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco.

Spanish news agency Europa Press quotes Ceuta police saying as many as 400 migrants may have made it onto Spanish soil in the assault, shortly after dawn Thursday.

Sub-Saharan Africans living illegally in Morocco try to get to Europe each year by climbing rows of 6-meter-high (20-foot-high) barbed-wire fences surrounding Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's other North African enclave.

Thursday's mass charge added to pressure on Spanish authorities from a recent wave of migration.

The International Organization for Migration says so far this year more than 22,700 migrants have arrived in Spain — three times more than in the same period last year. Almost 20,000 of them arrived by sea. </s> Spanish authorities say about 400 migrants have stormed barbed-wire fences separating Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco.

Hundreds of migrants may have made it onto Spanish soil in the charge, made shortly after dawn today, according to Spanish news agency Europa Press, quoting Ceuta police.

Sub-Saharan Africans living illegally in Morocco try to get to Europe each year by climbing rows of 6m-high (20-foot-high) barbed-wire fences surrounding Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's other North African enclave.

This morning's mass charge added to pressure on Spanish authorities from a recent wave of migration.

The International Organization for Migration says so far this year that more than 22,700 migrants have arrived in Spain - three times more than in the same period last year.

Almost 20,000 of them arrived by sea.

Several policemen keep watch over some of the 400 migrants that managed to jump off the border fence between Spain and Morocco, in Ceuta, Spanish enclave in northern Africa </s> Fifty Moroccan and five Spanish border guards were injured when 1,100 African migrants attempted to storm a border fence.

The migrants were attempting to reach Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta.

Only two were successful, but both were injured scaling the six-metre (20 ft) fence and needed hospital treatment. One guard lost an eye, officials said.

The attempt comes after more than 400 migrants succeeded in breaching Ceuta’s fence in December.

Hundreds of sub-Saharan African migrants living illegally in Morocco try to enter Ceuta and Melilla, Spain’s other North African enclave, each year in hope of getting to Europe.

The enclaves are Europe’s only land borders in Africa.

But most migrants are intercepted and returned to Morocco, while those who make it over the fences are eventually repatriated or released.

This latest attempt – described as “extremely violent and organised” by the Spanish government’s representative office in Ceuta – took place at 04:00 (03:00 GMT) on New Year’s Day.

Dozens made it to the top of the fence, but Spanish agents sent them directly back to Morocco. </s> Some 250 illegal African migrants stormed through the fence border between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Friday, local authorities said.

A statement from the authorities in the Moroccan city of Fnideq said 10 police officers and 20 migrants were injured in the incident.

The police arrested 110 of the migrants, it added.

Reports say tens of thousands of sub-Saharan African illegal migrants in Morocco try to reach Europe to seek a better life every year.

Over the past few years, however, Morocco has adopted a strict policy for illegal migrants to enter Europe, but opened a door for regularizing their status in the country.

Last December, Morocco launched the second phase of a national campaign to regularize illegal migrants in the country, after the first phase granted 25,000 people legal status. </s> More than 50 Moroccan and Spanish border guards were injured repelling around 1,100 African migrants who attempted to storm a border fence and enter Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, Spanish authorities said yesterday.

A migrant was found inside the dashboard of a car trying to be smuggled into Spain.

A regional government spokesman told The Associated Press that 50 Moroccan and five Spanish border guards were injured yesterday when the large group of migrants tried to enter Spain.

Police also detained two Moroccans who were trying to smuggle migrants hidden in a suitcase and a car into Ceuta yesterday.

The spokesman said two migrants managed to reach Spanish soil. Both were injured in scaling the six-meter (20-foot) -high border fence and were taken to a hospital by Spanish police.

A further 100 migrants climbed the fence, but Spanish agents sent them directly back to Morocco.

Last month, more than 400 migrants succeeded in breaching Ceuta's fence in one of the biggest crossing attempts of recent years.

Hundreds of sub-Saharan African migrants living illegally in Morocco try to enter Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's other North African enclave, each year in hope of getting to Europe.

Most migrants who try to cross are intercepted on the spot and returned to Morocco. Those that make it over the fences are eventually repatriated or let go. </s> Hundreds of migrants have stormed border fences separating Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in a bid to get into Europe.

Spanish police said 602 migrants made it on to Spanish soil in a massive assault on high, barbed-wire fences shortly after dawn.

Migrants cut holes in the fences and threw faeces and quick lime, a skin irritant, at police officers trying to hold them back, the Guardia Civil said.

They also threw stones at police vehicles, breaking windows, and hurled makeshift flamethrowers at officers.

Police said 16 migrants were taken to hospital while five of 15 police who were injured needed hospital treatment.

The Spanish Red Cross said that 132 migrants were hurt in the mass charge.

Sub-Saharan Africans living illegally in Morocco try to get to Europe each year by climbing rows of 20ft high fences surrounding Ceuta and Melilla, Spain’s other North African enclave.

Those who make it across head for crowded, temporary migrant accommodation centres. They are eventually repatriated or let go.

Thursday’s assault added to pressure on Spanish authorities from a recent wave of migration, mostly migrants crossing the Mediterranean on unsafe boats.

The International Organisation for Migration says so far this year more than 22,700 migrants have arrived in Spain – three times more than in the same period last year.

Almost 20,000 of them arrived by sea, as good weather allowed more crossings on the short route across the Strait of Gibraltar and a recent crackdown by Libyan authorities had led migrants to choose other routes.

NB. Photo is from a previous event where migrants stormed the fence in Ceuta last year. </s> The men shouted “Viva Espana', “We Love You Espana” and “Victory, victory” as they beat their chests in a show of joy at making it to Europe. Many were bare chested and barefoot - and others were bleeding from deep cuts they had suffered after managing to reach Spain's north African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco. Local authorities said they believed around 900 immigrants had attempted to storm the fence - and more than 400 had managed to cross it.

The mass assault happened around just before dawn this this morning. Some of the immigrants were filmed jumping up and down with joy as they turned to others near the top of the fence who had failed to get across and were still stuck in Morocco. One - bare chested and barefoot - did a somersault as he ran in the darkness ahead of other men towards a temporary migrant holding centre where they received medical attention.

The centre, known as a CETI, is where the immigrants are given three meals a day, Spanish lessons and psychological support. They stay for months at a time before being transferred to the mainland to relieve the pressure on living conditions. It was not clear how the centre would cope with the influx. In December, local governors ended up having to house immigrants in army tents they mounted in a municipal equestrian centre car park after more than 400 undocumented Africans stormed the border fence.

The tents were taken down just before the New Year after 74 men and five women were transferred to different parts of the Spanish mainland. At the time Ceuta's CETI was said to be housing 948 people, nearly double the 512 it was built to accommodate. As well as mass assaults on the fence separating Ceuta from Morocco, other immigrants reach the Spanish enclave by sea or hidden in cars, with some even risking their lives by curling into balls so they can be smuggled across the border under the bonnets of modified vehicles. Fifty Moroccan and five Spanish border guards were injured on New Years Eve when 1,100 African immigrants tried to scale the 20ft fence around 4am on New Years Day.

Only two managed to make it to Ceuta. One border guard is said to have to lost an eye. The attempt was described at the time as “extremely violent and organised” by Spain's government representative in Ceuta. Ceuta, 18 miles across the water from Gibraltar, is one of Spain's two north African enclaves. The other, Melilla, also has a high border fence, which has witnessed spectacular mass assaults by sub-Saharan African immigrants who in some cases have spent years trying to reach Europe. European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex revealed earlier this week that 1,000 immigrants managed to cross the Ceuta and Melilla border fences last year. </s> MADRID: More than 1,000 migrants tried to jump a high double fence between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Sunday in a violent assault that saw one officer lose an eye, local authorities said.

A group of 1,100 people from Sub-Saharan Africa trying to reach Europe stormed the border fence just after 4 am (0300 GMT) on New Year's Day in an "extremely violent and organised" way, said the central government's representative office in Ceuta.

None however managed to get through bar two who were badly injured and taken to hospital in Ceuta, the office said in a statement. A similar assault on December 9 saw more than 400 migrants enter the tiny enclave.

They tried "to force open some of the doors in the external fence, using iron bars, wire cutters and large stones with which they assaulted Moroccan forces and (Spanish) Guardia Civil (police) agents," it added.

Five Spanish policemen and 50 members of the Moroccan forces were injured, including one who lost an eye, it said.

Ceuta along with Melilla, another Spanish territory in North Africa, have the European Union's only land borders with Africa.

They are one of the entry points for African migrants seeking a better life in Europe, who get there by either climbing over the border fence or by swimming along the coast.

According to local authorities, of the 1,100 migrants who stormed the border, just over 100 managed to climb up the external fence and stayed on top for hours.

Footage shot by the local Faro TV shows one man perched at the top of the six-metre (20-foot) high fence, sitting uncomfortably near rolls of barbed wire, his head hanging down onto his chest.

Eventually as darkness turns to light, he slowly climbs down to a space between both fences and lies down as a Spanish policeman fetches him a bottle of water before taking him to an entry back into Morocco.

Separately, coastguards said they had rescued 52 people who were packed onto a small boat at sea south of Malaga on Spain's southern coast.
Nearly five hundred African migrants swarm the border of Spain from Morocco.