At nearly 6:00 am on February 28th 2014 more than 200 immigrants successfully managed to scale the main border fence between Morocco and Melilla, violently attacking Civil Guard officers. This was the largest flow of Sub-Saharan immigrants in this autonomous city since 2005. More than 300 immigrants participated in the jump, throwing all types of objects such as rocks, sticks and bottles at the Civil Guards.
The massive influx followed an intense night of surveillance at the border where various groups of hundreds of immigrants were seen approaching the fence. According to the delegation they disappeared shortly after.
The Center of Temporary Stay of Immigrants (CETI) recorded the arrival of 214 Sub-Saharan immigrants that were provided with food and clothing by the center staff and the Red Cross. With the center overflowing with immigrants, the immigrants took off chanting and singing after jumping the fence making their way through different parts of the city. According to the government delegation no one else was seriously injured apart from the agent who was assaulted by one of the immigrants who was immediately detained as an alleged perpetrator of a serious offence against an official of authority.
Translated by: Katherine Pascal