Security guards were unable to stop the refugees as they ran through a check point at Spanish enclave, Ceuta
Charity workers helped 186 people who stormed the border at 5am and four migrants were treated in hospital
On reaching Spanish soil, some refugees fell to their knees in celebration while others ran through the streets
Ceuta and Melilla, another Spanish enclave in northern Morocco, have the EU's only land borders with Africa
More than 180 migrants have stormed a border between Morocco and the Spanish territory of Ceuta, it has emerged.
Security guards were unable to stop the refugees as they ran through the enclave's check point in the early hours of this morning.
Footage of the incident broadcast on local television showed the migrants from sub-Saharan Africa sprinting over the border from the Moroccan side while it was still dark at about 5am.
Once on Spanish soil, they celebrated, raising their hands in joy as they ran through the streets and one man kneeling on the floor.
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More than 180 migrants have stormed a border between Morocco and the Spanish territory of Ceuta, it has emerged
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Security guards were unable to stop the refugees as they ran through the enclave's check point in the early hours of this morning
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Footage of the incident broadcast on local television showed the migrants from sub-Saharan Africa sprinting over the border from the Moroccan side while it was still dark at about 5am
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Once on Spanish soil, they celebrated, raising their hands in joy as they ran through the streets and one man kneeling on the floor
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An injured migrant waits for medical attention after entering the Spanish territory in the city of Ceuta, Spanish enclave in northern Africa, early this morning
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The Spanish outposts of Ceuta and Melilla in northern Morocco, which have the European Union's only land borders with Africa, are tempting launch pads for clandestine immigration to continental Europe
Ceuta and Melilla, another Spanish territory on Morocco's northern border, have the EU's only land borders with Africa.
As a result, they are entry points for migrants desperate to get to Europe and who regularly try to climb the high border fences, swim along the coast or hide in vehicles crossing the frontier.
A police spokesman, however, said this type of border-crossing attempt - sprinting through manned posts - was very rare.
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Ceuta and Melilla, another Spanish territory on Morocco's northern border, have the EU's only land borders with Afric
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A police spokesman said this morning that this type of border-crossing attempt - sprinting through manned posts - was very rare
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On entering, the migrants head for temporary migrant accommodation centers. They are eventually repatriated or let go
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The thousands of sub-Saharan African migrants living illegally in Morocco normally try to scale the border fences surrounding Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's other North African enclave, in their bid to enter Europe
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The Red Cross said it had assisted 186 people following the morning rush across the border, adding that four migrants were taken to hospital
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Once inside Spain's enclaves, migrants are usually taken to temporary shelters and later moved to the Spanish mainland, or returned to their country of origin
'It's been a long time since we've had any attempt of this kind here,' he said.
The migrants who reached Ceuta were eventually rounded up and taken to a reception centre, where they can apply for asylum in Spain.
Ceuta is ringed by a double wire fence five miles long. The 18ft-high fence also has rolls of barbed wire.
Last week, about 200 migrants stormed the high border fence, with 73 managing to get through using wire cutters and mallets.
HOW SPANISH ENCLAVES IN MOROCCO BECAME A HOT-SPOT FOR MIGRANTS TRYING TO REACH EUROPE
The Spanish outposts of Ceuta and Melilla in northern Morocco, which have the European Union's only land borders with Africa, are tempting launch pads for clandestine immigration to continental Europe.
Ceuta, a former Roman colony of 85,000 people, measures about seven square miles and lies just across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain.
It was captured by the Arabs and the Portuguese and has been under Spanish sovereignty since 1640.
Melilla, measuring about 78 square miles, is perched on the eastern edge of Morocco's Mediterranean coast, and has been under Spanish control since 1497.
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Arrivals through Ceuta and Melilla, as well as the number of migrants attempting to cross into Spain by sea from North Africa has risen this year, although the route between Libya and Italy remains the most popular
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Ceuta is ringed by a double wire fence five miles long. The 18ft-high fence also has rolls of barbed wire
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Ceuta, a former Roman colony of 85,000 people, measures about seven square miles and lies just across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain
It has a diverse population of about 85,000, of which around half are Muslims, and thousands of Moroccans go there to work and shop every day.
Thousands of migrants have attempted to cross the 7.5 mile frontier between Melilla and Morocco, or the eight-kilometre border at Ceuta, by climbing the border fences, swimming along the coast or hiding in vehicles.
More than 350 migrants stormed the six-metre-high double fence at Ceuta on Monday, just days after nearly 500 migrants made it over, one of the biggest entries since the barrier was reinforced in 2005.
The two territories are protected by fences fortified with barbed wire, video cameras and watchtowers. Migrants have died or been injured trying to breach the barriers.
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Police watch as a group of African migrants cross the border fence from Morocco to Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, Spain, early today
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Waiting game: A group of refugees are pictured sitting on a road safety barrier as police stand guard next to them this morning
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The men rejoiced and ran through the streets as they celebrated reaching Spanish soil in the early hours of this morning
On January 1 more than 1,000 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa tried to scale the fence at Ceuta during a violent assault in which one officer lost an eye.
Both exclaves were conquered as part of a strategy by Catholic kings of establishing advance posts of Christendom on the African continent following the expulsion of Moors and Jews from Spain in 1492.
Claimed by Morocco, the two cities have long been a flashpoint in diplomatic relations between Madrid and Rabat, with Madrid insisting that both are integral parts of Spain.
Both port cities have developed as military and trade centres linking Africa to Europe, and since the 1990s have enjoyed a status similar to other autonomous areas such as the Basque region and Catalonia.
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