African migrants storm into Spanish enclave of Melilla

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Migrants celebrate getting into Melilla, but they are likely to be expelled

More than 200 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have broken into Spain’s North African enclave of Melilla by scaling the border fence.

It is one of the biggest migrant surges into Melilla in recent years.

Many of the migrants suffered cuts scaling the fence. During the incident, migrants threw stones, sticks and bottles at police, officials say.

This month there have been similar mass break-ins in Melilla and Ceuta – another Spanish city in North Africa.

The break-in happened at about 06:00 local time (05:00 GMT) at Ben-Enzar, a crossing point on the Spain-Morocco border.

The migrants, many of whom said they were from Cameroon and Guinea, sang triumphantly as they made their way to the Melilla migrant reception centre, Spain’s El Pais daily reported.

They are likely to be expelled from Melilla. The reception centre is already overcrowded – built for 480, it now houses 1,300 people, its manager Carlos Montero said.

On 6 February at least 14 migrants drowned when hundreds tried to swim into Ceuta.

The two Spanish territories have become a magnet for migrants seeking work or asylum in Europe.