RABAT, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- At least 800 illegal African migrants tried on Sunday to storm through the fence border between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, the Moroccan interior ministry said.
The attempt, which was foiled by the Moroccan police, led to the arrest of all the illegal immigrants, the ministry said in a statement.
It said those who make such attempts will be brought to justice, which will deliver verdicts ranging from expulsion out of the Moroccan territory to more severe sentences depending on how serious their acts are.
Tens of thousands of sub-Saharan African migrants living illegally in Morocco try to enter Ceuta and Melilla each year, hoping to get a better life in Europe.
Both cities have six-meter-high border wire fences separating them from Morocco.
Figures suggest that illegal immigrants arriving in Spain via Morocco have dropped by 90 percent since 2002.
Over the past few years, Morocco has adopted a strict policy against illegal migrants to Europe, but openned a door for regularizing their status.
In last December, Morocco launched the second phase of the regularization of the situation of illegal immigrants in the country, after the first phase led to granting about 25,000 people legal status.
