Spanish intelligence services issued warnings about social media calls for a mass migrant crossing into Ceuta the day before tens of thousands of people entered the territory, according to newly declassified government documents. The revelations contradict Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s previous assertions that the events were impossible to predict.
The documents, released by the Spanish government amidst accusations of a failure to provide the full account of the migrant influx, shed new light on the events of late July.
On 29 July, Spain’s National Intelligence Service (CNI) informed both Moroccan and Ceuta authorities that social media groups were actively encouraging migrants to attempt a crossing on the following day. This direct warning appears to challenge Mr Sánchez’s prior statements to parliament, where he maintained that there was “no information that conveyed the magnitude” of the “crisis we were going to suffer” on 30 and 31 July.
The CNI’s 29 July note to Moroccan intelligence specifically identified WhatsApp and Facebook groups promoting an attempt by migrants to reach the Spanish exclave on Throne Day, 30 July, stating that they would try to cross “both swimming and via the [border] fence”. The intelligence service reported that approximately 180,000 individuals were receiving these messages. One message, cited in the CNI note, read: “Whoever wants to cross has the last chance on Throne Day [30 July] at 8 the authorities will be distracted with the celebrations and parades.”
Further to this, the CNI also issued warnings via text message to the central government’s representation in Ceuta and to the civil guard regarding the detected social media activity.
Despite these warnings, Mr Sánchez had earlier this month told Spanish television, shortly before the documents were released on Wednesday, that “the mass arrival of migrants was not expected”. He had consistently insisted that there was no foresight into the scale of the impending crisis.
The mass crossing saw at least 72,000 migrants enter from Morocco into Ceuta on 30 and 31 July. The majority swam around a border fence. Tragically, at least 100 people died during these crossings, according to figures provided by Ceuta’s mayor.
While most of the migrants were subsequently returned to Morocco, an estimated 5,000 individuals remain in the autonomous Spanish city in North Africa. They are reportedly residing in makeshift camps or sleeping on the streets and beaches, contributing to unrest among local residents. Concerns over safety have been voiced by locals, with some incidents of shelters being destroyed and aid supply to migrants being blocked.
The tranche of more than 40 security documents related to the Ceuta crossing was declassified following increasing pressure on Mr Sánchez’s government. This pressure stemmed from his handling of the crisis and widespread allegations in Spain that Morocco may have played a role in facilitating the crossings. Earlier in the month, a leaked Spanish police report had seemingly implicated Moroccan police in the incident. However, Mr Sánchez has consistently maintained that there is no evidence to suggest Moroccan complicity.
Opposition politicians have been swift to criticise the government following the release of the documents. Ester Muñoz of the conservative People’s Party stated, “They had the information, they are directly responsible for the invasion of Ceuta and for those who died.” Jorge Buxadé, representing the far-right Vox party, posted on social media that the documents demonstrated that Mr Sánchez “and his band of criminals should be brought before the Supreme Court for treason and security crimes.”
In response, the government has continued to assert that its actions were consistent with the information available at the time. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares commented that he was “not aware of any report that might have foreseen the magnitude of what happened on July 30”. A government source echoed this sentiment, stating that the published documents “showed that the information available before the mass crossing did not make it possible to anticipate the scale that the crisis would reach or prepare with enough time the necessary response”.
Miguel Ángel Pérez Triano, the central government’s delegate in Ceuta, specifically addressed the revelations regarding the text messages from the CNI sent to his office the day prior to the mass crossing. Mr Pérez Triano sought to downplay their significance, stating, “The Whatsapps from [July] 29 do not constitute an alert or a report. It is nothing more than an exchange of information.”
The migrant crisis in Ceuta has also led to protests across Spain against the government’s management of the situation. Prosecutors have also reported that sexual assaults are occurring almost every day in Ceuta, adding another dimension to the ongoing humanitarian and security challenges in the city.
