Story highlights Migrants shouted "Viva España!" and kissed the ground, video from the scene shows

Eleven law enforcement officers were treated for injuries, including three taken to the hospital

(CNN) Nearly 500 African migrants pushed their way across the border fence Friday morning from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, one of two Spanish enclaves in North Africa, a Spanish police source told CNN.

About 700 migrants amassed near the border early Friday before storming the fence, and 498 migrants managed to cross into Spanish territory, the source said.

The others were stopped by the Moroccan military and by Spanish and Moroccan authorities, the source added.

Migrants celebrate after storming the fence and entering the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

Social media video provided to a local station shortly after the migrants arrived shows many celebrating while running through the streets. Other videos show barefoot and bare-chested migrants shouting "Viva España!" A few migrants had flags of the European Union and Spain draped over their backs. Some could be seen kissing the ground.

▶ Vídeo: Nueva entrada masiva de inmigrantes - YouTube https://t.co/etMDJnSFVC — El Faro de Ceuta (@ElFarodeCeuta) February 17, 2017

Eleven Spanish Civil guards were hurt trying to stop the migrants, the source said. Three had to be taken to a local hospital.</s>MADRID: Hundreds of migrants stormed the border between Morocco and Spain at Ceuta on Friday, days after Morocco warned the EU of fresh migrant trouble following a row over a trade deal.

The Spanish civil guard -- or paramilitary police -- told AFP that "several hundred" migrants had stormed the border fence into the Spanish North African territory and that some had been injured.

Three officers were hurt while trying to keep the migrants back, a civil guard spoeksman said.

Footage shot by the local Faro de Ceuta television showed dozens of euphoric migrants wandering the streets of the seaside enclave, ecstatic to have finally crossed into a European Union state.

"I love you Mamma, long live Spain," shouted one young African draped in a blue EU flag. "Libertad, libertad" (freedom), shouted another.

Ceuta and Melilla, also a Spanish territory in North Africa, have the EU’s only land borders with Africa, so are entry points for migrants who either climbing the border fence, swim along the coast or hide in vehicles.

Emergency services said on Twitter that 400 people were receiving assistance from the Spanish Red Cross.

The massive entry, one of the biggest since the border barrier was reinforced in 2005, comes amid a dispute between Morocco and the EU over the interpretation of a free trade farm and fishing deal.

In a late 2016 ruling, an EU court said the deal did not apply to the Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony controlled by Rabat where the Polisario Front is fighting for independence.

The court said this was because the status of the disputed territory remained unclear according to the international community.

The ruling opened the way for the Polisario Front and its supporters to contest trade in products from the Western Sahara between Morocco and the 28 EU states.

Hundreds of migrants enter Spain from Morocco was posted in World of TheNews International - https://www.thenews.com.pk on February 18, 2017 and was last updated on February 18, 2017. This news story is related to Print/187147-Hundreds-of-migrants-enter-Spain-from-Morocco/ - breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. Permanent link to the news story "Hundreds of migrants enter Spain from Morocco" is https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/187147-Hundreds-of-migrants-enter-Spain-from-Morocco.</s>MADRID: Hundreds of migrants stormed the border between Morocco and Spain at Ceuta on Friday, days after Morocco warned the EU of fresh migrant trouble following a row over a trade deal.

 The Spanish civil guard — or paramilitary police — told AFP that “several hundred” migrants had stormed the border fence into the Spanish North African territory and that some had been injured. Three officers were hurt while trying to keep the migrants back, a civil guard spokesman said. Footage shot by the local Faro de Ceuta television showed dozens of euphoric migrants wandering the streets of the seaside enclave, ecstatic to have finally crossed into a European Union state. APP</s>Hundreds of migrants stormed the border between Morocco and Spain at Ceuta on Friday, days after Morocco warned the EU of fresh migrant trouble following a row over a trade deal.

The Spanish civil guard -- or paramilitary police -- told AFP that "several hundred" migrants had stormed the border fence into the Spanish North African territory and that some had been injured.

Three officers were hurt while trying to keep the migrants back, a civil guard spoeksman said.

Footage shot by the local Faro de Ceuta television showed dozens of euphoric migrants wandering the streets of the seaside enclave, ecstatic to have finally crossed into a European Union state.

"I love you Mamma, long live Spain," shouted one young African draped in a blue EU flag. "Libertad, libertad" (freedom), shouted another.

Ceuta and Melilla, also a Spanish territory in North Africa, have the EU's only land borders with Africa, so are entry points for migrants who either climbing the border fence, swim along the coast or hide in vehicles.

Emergency services said on Twitter that 400 people were receiving assistance from the Spanish Red Cross.

The massive entry, one of the biggest since the border barrier was reinforced in 2005, comes amid a dispute between Morocco and the EU over the interpretation of a free trade farm and fishing deal.

In a late 2016 ruling, an EU court said the deal did not apply to the Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony controlled by Rabat where the Polisario Front is fighting for independence.

The court said this was because the status of the disputed territory remained unclear according to the international community.

The 28-nation bloc did not recognise it as part of Morocco.

The ruling opened the way for the Polisario Front and its supporters to contest trade in products from the Western Sahara between Morocco and the 28 EU states.

The decision angered Morocco, which in a warning on February 7 suggested it could lead to "a new flow of migration" towards Europe and place the continent "at risk".

The last such massive attempt took place on New Year's Day when more than 1,000 migrants tried to jump a high double fence between Morocco and Ceuta in a violent assault that saw one officer lose an eye.

The enclave has been ringed by a double wire fence that is eight kilometres (five miles) long. The six-metre (20-foot) high fence also has rolls of barbed wire.</s>A Moroccan flag flies behind the border fence between Morocco and Spain's North African territory of Ceuta (AFP Photo/Jorge Guerrero)

Madrid (AFP) - Hundreds of migrants stormed into Spain's North African territory of Ceuta from Morocco early Friday, the emergency services and police said, adding that some were injured in the process.

"The Civil Guard at Ceuta estimates that 500 people could have succeeded in entering the town," the emergency services said on Twitter.

The Civil Guard, or paramilitary police, meanwhile told AFP that "several hundreds" crossed over and many of them were hurt, as were members of the security forces.

The last such attempt took place on New Year's Day when more than 1,000 migrants tried to jump a high double fence between Morocco and Ceuta in a violent assault that saw one officer lose an eye.

The emergency services said on Twitter that the Spanish Red Cross extended assistance to some 400 people.

Ceuta and Melilla, another Spanish territory in North Africa, have the European Union's only land borders with Africa.

They are entry points for African migrants seeking a better life in Europe, who get there by climbing the border fence, swimming along the coast or by hiding in vehicles.

The enclave has been ringed by a double wire fence that is eight kilometres (five miles) long. The six-metre (20-foot) high fence also has rolls of barbed wire.</s>About 700 migrants amassed near the border early Friday before storming the fence, and 498 migrants managed to cross into Spanish territory, the source said.

The others were stopped by the Moroccan military and by Spanish and Moroccan authorities, the source added.

Social media video provided to a local station shortly after the migrants arrived shows many celebrating while running through the streets. Other videos show barefoot and bare-chested migrants shouting "Viva España!" A few migrants had flags of the European Union and Spain draped over their backs. Some could be seen kissing the ground.

Eleven Spanish Civil guards were hurt trying to stop the migrants, the source said. Three had to be taken to a local hospital.</s>Almost 500 migrants forced their way into Spanish territory in North Africa by breaking through gates in the 20ft fence that separates Morocco from Spain’s Ceuta enclave.

The Ceuta regional government gave the figures, with officials saying it was believed to be the biggest border invasion in recent years. Ceuta is separated from the rest of Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar.

About 700 migrants attempted to smash through several gates simultaneously at about 6am, according to a Ceuta government official.

He said 498 migrants made it into Spanish territory, with two taken to hospital due to injuries they sustained in the assault. He said 11 Spanish police were also hurt.

A Civil Guard spokesman said police clashed with the migrants at the Tarajal area of the fence, and at least 10 members of Morocco’s armed forces were also injured.

More than 30 migrants were treated at a migrant centre for bone fractures and other injuries. Some were cut trying to scale the fence, which is topped with barbed wire, said Clemen Nunez, director of Ceuta’s Red Cross emergency response team.

According to the Civil Guard, a surveillance camera showed hundreds of people approaching the fence, using tools and clubs to break one of the gates.

In video filmed by Faro TV Ceuta, some migrants can be seen with blood on their faces and bruises, but mostly celebrating their arrival in Spanish territory. Some wrapped themselves with Spanish and European flags and shouted “Freedom!”

Hundreds of sub-Saharan African migrants are living illegally in Morocco and regularly attempt to enter Ceuta and Melilla, Spain’s other North African enclave, in the hope of getting into Europe. Most are fleeing poverty and violence.

On Friday, 55 of them were rejected, according to the Civil Guard, because those who are intercepted on the spot can be returned to Morocco.

Those who make it over the fences are usually taken to migrant centres and eventually repatriated or let go, many choosing to seek asylum or work informally in Spain or other European countries.

Before the latest arrival, the migrant centre at Ceuta was already struggling to cope with more than 600 people and using military tents in nearby car parks.</s>Migrants sit on the ground next to Spanish police officers after storming a fence to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Spain, Friday, Feb. 17, 2017. An emergency team in Ceuta is assisting more than 300 migrants who crossed the fence surrounding Spain's enclave in North Africa early Friday, a spokesman for the local Red Cross said. (AP Photo/Jesus Moron)

MADRID (AP) — Almost 500 migrants forced their way into Spanish territory in North Africa early Friday by breaking through gates in the 20-foot (6-meter) high fence that separates Morocco from Spain's Ceuta enclave.

The Ceuta regional government gave the figures, with officials saying it was believed to be the biggest border invasion in recent years. Ceuta is separated from the rest of Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar.

Some 700 migrants attempted to smash through several gates simultaneously at about 6 a.m., a Ceuta government official told The Associated Press. He refused to be identified, in accordance with government rules.

He said 498 migrants made it into Spanish territory, with two hospitalized due to injuries they sustained in the assault. He said 11 Spanish police were also hurt.

A Civil Guard spokesman said police clashed with the migrants at the Tarajal area of the fence. He declined to disclose his identity in line with internal policy. At least 10 members of Morocco's armed forces were also injured, he said.

More than 30 migrants were treated at a migrant center for bone fractures and other injuries. Some were also cut trying to scale the fence, which is topped with barbed wire, said Clemen Nunez, director of Ceuta's Red Cross emergency response team.

According to the Civil Guard, a surveillance camera showed hundreds of people approaching the fence, using tools and clubs to break one of the gates.

In video filmed by Faro TV Ceuta, some of the migrants can be seen with blood on their faces and bruises but mostly celebrating the arrival in Spanish territory. Some wrapped themselves with Spanish and European flags and screamed "Freedom, freedom!"

Hundreds of sub-Saharan African migrants are living illegally in Morocco and regularly attempt to enter Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's other North African enclave, in hopes of getting into Europe. Most are fleeing poverty, violence or both.

On Friday, 55 of them were rejected, according to the Civil Guard, because those who are intercepted on the spot can be returned to Morocco. But those that make it over the fences are usually taken to migrant centers and eventually repatriated or let go, many choosing to seek asylum or work informally in Spain or other European countries.

Before the latest arrival, the migrant center Ceuta was already struggling to cope with more than 600 people and making use of military tents in nearby parking lots.</s>Some 250 illegal African migrants stormed through the fence border between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Friday, local authorities said.

A statement from the authorities in the Moroccan city of Fnideq said 10 police officers and 20 migrants were injured in the incident.

The police arrested 110 of the migrants, it added.

Reports say tens of thousands of sub-Saharan African illegal migrants in Morocco try to reach Europe to seek a better life every year.

Over the past few years, however, Morocco has adopted a strict policy for illegal migrants to enter Europe, but opened a door for regularizing their status in the country.

Last December, Morocco launched the second phase of a national campaign to regularize illegal migrants in the country, after the first phase granted 25,000 people legal status.</s>The men shouted “Viva Espana', “We Love You Espana” and “Victory, victory” as they beat their chests in a show of joy at making it to Europe. Many were bare chested and barefoot - and others were bleeding from deep cuts they had suffered after managing to reach Spain's north African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco. Local authorities said they believed around 900 immigrants had attempted to storm the fence - and more than 400 had managed to cross it.

The mass assault happened around just before dawn this this morning. Some of the immigrants were filmed jumping up and down with joy as they turned to others near the top of the fence who had failed to get across and were still stuck in Morocco. One - bare chested and barefoot - did a somersault as he ran in the darkness ahead of other men towards a temporary migrant holding centre where they received medical attention.

The centre, known as a CETI, is where the immigrants are given three meals a day, Spanish lessons and psychological support. They stay for months at a time before being transferred to the mainland to relieve the pressure on living conditions. It was not clear how the centre would cope with the influx. In December, local governors ended up having to house immigrants in army tents they mounted in a municipal equestrian centre car park after more than 400 undocumented Africans stormed the border fence.

The tents were taken down just before the New Year after 74 men and five women were transferred to different parts of the Spanish mainland. At the time Ceuta's CETI was said to be housing 948 people, nearly double the 512 it was built to accommodate. As well as mass assaults on the fence separating Ceuta from Morocco, other immigrants reach the Spanish enclave by sea or hidden in cars, with some even risking their lives by curling into balls so they can be smuggled across the border under the bonnets of modified vehicles. Fifty Moroccan and five Spanish border guards were injured on New Years Eve when 1,100 African immigrants tried to scale the 20ft fence around 4am on New Years Day.

Only two managed to make it to Ceuta. One border guard is said to have to lost an eye. The attempt was described at the time as “extremely violent and organised” by Spain's government representative in Ceuta. Ceuta, 18 miles across the water from Gibraltar, is one of Spain's two north African enclaves. The other, Melilla, also has a high border fence, which has witnessed spectacular mass assaults by sub-Saharan African immigrants who in some cases have spent years trying to reach Europe. European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex revealed earlier this week that 1,000 immigrants managed to cross the Ceuta and Melilla border fences last year.
Nearly five hundred African migrants swarm the border of Spain from Morocco.