Morocco prevents 150 African migrants from entering Spanish territory

Moroccan security forces have intercepted 150 people and detained 70 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa trying to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

Maroc ngan 150 nguoi di cu chau Phi vao lanh tho Tay Ban Nha hinh anh 1 Fourteen members of the security forces and six migrants were injured in clashes in the Moroccan border town of Fnideq. (Source: Reuters)

According to a VNA correspondent in Africa, Moroccan security forces on April 14 stopped 150 people and arrested 70 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa trying to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

Security forces said the migrants were "armed with sticks, stones and knives" and fought back when stopped from crossing the border.

According to local sources, 14 members of the security forces and six migrants were injured in clashes in the Moroccan border town of Fnideq.

Security forces arrested 70 extremist migrants, while the injured were taken to hospital for treatment.

Located on Morocco's northern coast, Ceuta (along with Melilla) has long been a magnet for desperate migrants hoping to escape poverty.

The two enclaves are the only parts of the European Union (EU) that share a border with Africa and regularly witness illegal border crossing attempts by migrants from Morocco.

Spain's Interior Ministry said that although illegal migration to Spain fell by 25% last year, clandestine border crossings between the two countries increased by 24.1% in January this year.

Also related to the migrant issue, the Tunisian coast guard announced that it had recovered eight more bodies of migrants from a recent shipwreck in Tunisia, bringing the death toll in this tragedy to 32.

The incident occurred on April 11 when a wooden boat carrying about 110 illegal migrants from sub-Saharan Africa to Europe sank in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of the city of Sfax, central Tunisia.

Tunisia, with some areas of its coastline less than 150 km from the Italian island of Lampedusa, regularly sees migrants crossing the border, mainly from countries south of the Sahara, to Italy.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Tunisia "contributes" about 60% of migrants reaching Europe via the Mediterranean .

In addition, about 64% of victims who died on migrant routes across the Mediterranean this year were Africans./ .

Nguyen Tu-Hoang Minh (Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

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