Migrants rush to Morocco border with Spanish enclave

RABAT: Hundreds of migrants tried to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta following social media rumours that border controls were being relaxed, a rights group said on Wednesday.

Police are investigating Tuesday night’s incident, the official MAP news agency said, citing a statement from the DGSN security agency. "Hundreds of Moroccan migrants, mostly minors, tried to cross into Ceuta on Tuesday evening before being pushed back by security forces before even reaching the border," said Mohamed Benaissa of the Northern Observatory for Human Rights (ONDH).

The incident sparked clashes but the migrants were dispersed and calm had returned by Wednesday morning, Benaissa said. The DGSN statement said people attempting to "immigrate illegally" had "thrown rocks at police forces... causing material damage to two private vehicles".