The Beni Enzar border, in Melilla, remains closed this Friday after about 500 people tried to access the autonomous city minutes before the scheduled reopening of the border crossing.
The attempt to enter occurred shortly before 7:00 PM and was accompanied by moments of tension, during which several detonations were heard on the Moroccan side of the border, according to information disseminated from the scene.
Police deployment and suspension of the reopening
After the incident, anti-riot units were deployed in the vicinity of the border crossing and representatives from the Government Delegation and the Citizen Security Department of Melilla went to the area to monitor the evolution of the situation.
The opening of Beni Enzar was scheduled for the afternoon of this Friday, after being closed since Thursday night due to the migration crisis recorded in Ceuta. However, the new incidents have forced the border crossing to remain closed.
Travelers trapped at the border crossing
The closure has also left about 500 people trapped inside the border post when they were trying to cross from Melilla to Morocco as part of the Operation Crossing of the Strait.
In light of this situation, the authorities have set up a nearby pavilion to temporarily accommodate the affected travelers. The space, managed with the support of Red Cross, has beds and large fans installed by the Government of the autonomous city to alleviate the high temperatures while border transit remains suspended.
The episode occurs just a day after the mass entry recorded in Ceuta, which led to the closure of the border crossings with Morocco and has heightened tension along the entire southern Spanish border.