More than 150 migrants crossed the border fence at Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta and briefly clashed with police on Friday, the biggest attempt to enter across the heavily guarded barrier in a year, Trend reports citing Reuters.
The incident took place on the same day that a separate group of 15 migrants rescued at sea arrived in the mainland port of San Roque aboard a Spanish warship from Italy, a high profile case that has drawn attention to Europe’s migration crisis.
The caretaker Socialist administration has drawn criticism at home for its handling of the rescued migrants after Italy’s refusal to take them in.
The far-right party Vox was quick to blame its soft stance for triggering the Ceuta incident, by creating what it labeled “a call effect”. The government said the Ceuta incident was prompted by migrants there taking advantage of thick fog.
Cabinet spokeswoman Isabel Celaa told a briefing the number of illegal entries into Spain was down 47% this year.
In a special parliament session a day earlier, some parties criticized the government for accepting the migrants rejected by Italy, while others criticized it for not doing so more quickly.
At least six Spanish police officers and some of the illegal migrants suffered minor injuries in Ceuta, according to a government spokesman in the city, who added, however, that the incident was “not as violent as in the past”.
“Around 250 migrants tried to jump over the fence and some 155 made it,” the spokesman said.
Television footage showed a large group of shirtless young men chanting “Boza!”, or “victory” in the Fula language spoken in western Africa, as they were chased by police. One of the men shouted “Respect!” in Spanish.
A group was later shown sitting on the ground surrounded by police. Some had cuts from razor wire, others were washing their eyes with water after apparent contact with tear gas.