Spanish report points to ‘total permissiveness’ of Moroccan security forces in Ceuta
A Spanish police report points to «total permissiveness» by Moroccan security forces during the mass crossing of migrants into the Spanish territory of Ceuta in North Africa. As France 24 reports, citing a document seen by AFP, the police presence near the border was «clearly lower than usual».
Claims in the report
The document also cites migrants’ testimonies about the «passive attitude» of Moroccan law enforcement officers while tens of thousands of people crossed the border into Ceuta. It concerns events in July, when about 72,000 people arrived in the small Spanish territory bordering Morocco.
At least 90 people died while trying to reach Europe. According to Spain’s national government, most migrants soon returned or were transferred back across the border. At the same time, about 5,000 people, including 1,200 minors, remained in Ceuta several weeks after the mass crossing.
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The Spanish government said that the mass crossing was linked to an online campaign on social media. Local authorities, for their part, claimed that Spain’s central government had ignored warning signs before the border breach.
Protests and the situation in the city
On Wednesday, thousands of people took to the streets over the humanitarian crisis in Ceuta, demanding a resolution to the situation and criticizing the actions of the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Ceuta’s population is about 84,000 people, and the mass influx created significant pressure on local resources.
Ceuta’s regional leader, Juan Jesús Vivas, said that the events were not a migration crisis but «a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity». Rallies took place in Madrid and more than 200 other cities; they were organized by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces. The protests were also promoted by the conservative People’s Party and the far-right Vox party.
