Spanish intelligence warned of mass crossing to Ceuta
Spain’s National Intelligence Centre (CNI) on July 29 warned the authorities of Morocco and the Spanish city of Ceuta in Spain about calls on social media for a mass crossing the following day. This was reported by BBC News, citing documents declassified by the Spanish government.
Warning on the eve of the crossing
According to the CNI, groups on WhatsApp and Facebook circulated calls to reach the Spanish exclave by swimming or through the border fence. Intelligence said that about 180,000 people received such messages. The CNI also sent SMS messages to the central government delegation in Ceuta and the Civil Guard regarding activity on social media.
On July 30 and 31, at least 72,000 migrants reached Ceuta from Morocco. Most of them went around the border fence by sea. According to the mayor of Ceuta, at least 100 people died during the crossing. A significant number of migrants later returned, but up to 5,000 people remained in temporary camps or slept on the city’s streets and beaches.
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Disputes over the government’s actions
The declassification of more than 40 documents related to the crossing came amid criticism of the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. He had previously stated that the scale of the events on July 30 could not have been foreseen and that there had been no information before the crisis indicating its scale.
Esther Muñoz, a representative of the conservative People’s Party, said the government had the relevant information and bears responsibility for the events in Ceuta and the deaths. Jorge Buxadé, a representative of the far-right Vox party, said on social media that Sánchez and those around him should appear before the Supreme Court on charges of treason and crimes against security.
The Spanish government insists that it acted in accordance with the information available. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said he was unaware of any report that could have predicted the scale of the events. A government representative added that the released documents did not make it possible to assess the level of the crisis in advance and prepare the necessary response.
