Nearly 500 African migrants storm border

Nearly 500 African migrants pushed their
way across the border fence Friday morning from
Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, one of
two Spanish enclaves in North Africa, a Spanish
police source.

About 700 migrants amassed near the border
early Friday before storming the fence, and 498
migrants managed to cross into Spanish territory,
the source said.

The others were stopped by the Moroccan military
and by Spanish and Moroccan authorities, the
source added.
Social media video provided to a local station
shortly after the migrants arrived shows many
celebrating while running through the streets.

Other videos show barefoot and bare-chested
migrants shouting "Viva España!" A few migrants
had flags of the European Union and Spain draped
over their backs. Some could be seen kissing the
ground.

Eleven Spanish Civil guards were hurt trying to
stop the migrants, the source said. Three had to
be taken to a local hospital.
The 498 migrants are receiving assistance from
the Spanish Red Cross at a Temporary Migrant
Center in Ceuta, the agency said in a statement.

The Red Cross said 18 migrants had to be treated
at a local hospital after being hurt while crossing
the border.

Desperate attempts to cross
Ceuta, along with the province of Melilla to the
east, are Europe's only land borders in Africa.
Both enclaves have long been popular transit
points for sub-Saharan African migrants trying to
cross the sea at the narrow point south of Spain.

At least 800 African migrants tried to storm a
border fence into Ceuta from Morocco on New
Year's Day, Reuters reported , citing the Spanish
and Moroccan governments .
Most of the migrants that day were prevented
from entering Spanish territory.
A handful of
migrants scaled the 6-meter-high barbed-wire
fence but were eventually removed by cranes,
Reuters reported. Dozens of Moroccan security
agents were injured in the incident, along with five
Spanish police officers.

A young woman was arrested in December 2016
after being caught trying to smuggle a 19-year-
old African migrant into Ceuta in her suitcase.

The man was treated for lack of sufficient oxygen
inside the compact travel bag, Spain's Civil Guard
said in a statement.
This creative but dangerous method of
concealment is one of several desperate
approaches to illegal smuggling that the Spanish
Civil Guard has faced on the Ceuta border.

Two migrants a man and a woman from Guinea were also rescued in December after
authorities discovered them hidden inside the
dashboard and the backseat of a Volkswagen Golf,
the Spanish Civil Guard said. A Moroccan man
driving the car, which had been stolen, was
arrested, officials said.