Dozens of Migrants Storm Melilla Border, Injuring Guard in Predawn Clash

In a statement to the press, General José Manuel Santiago, Chief of Staff of the Civil Guard, announced that collaboration continues with Morocco to avoid this kind of situation. "We don’t let our guard down," he hammered.

Reporting on the situation, he said that 260 migrants had tried to access Melilla.

According to him, only 53 migrants succeeded. He also claims that these migrants threw stones at the agents, slightly injuring a Civil Guard, during this attempt which occurred around 5 a.m.

The only land borders between Africa and Europe, the autonomous city of Melilla and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta are regularly invaded by hundreds of people who try to enter them each year by crossing very high fences.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, 1,140 migrants arrived illegally this year in Ceuta and Melilla by land, between early January and late March, or nearly 16% less than during the first quarter of 2019 (1,354). According to the same statistical report, six boats carrying migrants reached the two Spanish enclaves, compared to 17 over the same period last year.