SPAIN-MIGRANTS/BORDER FENCE African migrants storm border into Spain

Record ID: 348859

  • Title: SPAIN-MIGRANTS/BORDER FENCE African migrants storm border into Spain
  • Date: 19th February 2015
  • Summary: MELILLA, SPAIN (FEBRUARY 19, 2015) (REUTERS) MIGRANTS ON MELILLA BORDER FENCE MIGRANTS SITTING ON FENCE, SPANISH RIOT POLICE STANDING NEXT TO THEM ON A LADDER MIGRANTS SITTING ON FENCE / SPANISH POLICE CARS PARKED NEXT TO THEM RIOT POLICE STANDING ON A LADDER NEXT TO MIGRANTS SITTING ON FENCE MIGRANT ON FENCE RIOT POLICE STANDING NEXT TO MIGRANTS ON TOP OF FENCE POLICE CAR
  • Embargoed: 6th March 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVADFP6P9ET4708H8VHTB50G2Z1D
  • Story Text: Some 35 African migrants crossed the border separating Morocco and the Spanish city of Melilla on Thursday (February 19).
    Nearly 100 people tried to climb the six metre high fence covered in razor wire and those who made it into Spanish territory were flanked by police to CETI, a short-stay immigrant centre, local authorities said.
    Around 15 people remained sitting on top of the fence for more than five hours as police in riot gear used a ladder to climb up the fence to talk with them.
    Just over 12 square kilometres (44.7 square miles), Melilla is a Spanish city on the African continent that shares a border with Morocco.
    Along with Ceuta, it is one of two Spanish enclaves in northern Africa.
    Hundreds of hopeful migrants camp out for weeks and months in Moroccan territory just outside both cities preparing to attempt to climb the fences or swim along the coast.
    In recent years, Spain has built new, higher fences around the enclaves, and lined them with razor wire, but several thousand immigrants still manage to make the crossing every year.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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