Spain: 400 migrants repelled after charging Moroccan guards, storming Melilla border fence

Spain says 400 African migrants tried to storm border fences separating its North African enclave Melilla from Morocco and has warned of a buildup in numbers across the frontier.

The Interior Ministry said the migrants charged past Moroccan border forces Sunday by throwing rocks, but were repelled by Spanish guards.

A statement said groups of around 1,000 migrants have approached the border fences almost every day throughout January.

At least eight people died Friday when a boat carrying migrants sank near Melilla. Two Cameroonian migrants were arrested Jan. 15 for allegedly killing 10 others by pushing them overboard into stormy waters in a fight off Morocco.

Thousands of African migrants living illegally in Morocco try to enter the Spanish enclaves each year, hoping to reach a better life in Europe.