Spain’s PM says no evidence Morocco planned Ceuta border rush

What the report says

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told parliament that Madrid has found no solid evidence that Morocco planned the mass crossing into Ceuta, the Spanish enclave on the North African coast. His remarks came after a police report, commissioned by a High Court judge, suggested the late-July surge may have been organized to overwhelm border controls.

According to Al Jazeera’s reporting, Sanchez said no Spanish institution, the diplomatic service, the European Commission or any international body had produced proof that Morocco orchestrated the incident. He also said Moroccan police allowed crossings during a 10-hour peak on July 30, though Spanish authorities have not determined whether that reflected inaction or an inability to stop the influx.

The article said about 72,000 people entered Ceuta in late July, far above the enclave’s population of roughly 84,000. The police report alleged that Moroccan forces were present in smaller numbers than usual and did not strongly disperse crowds, while Moroccan officials denied permissiveness and blamed a misunderstanding over a Spanish court ruling and social media rumors.

The crisis has become a political issue in Spain, where Sanchez has defended cooperation with Rabat on returning many migrants. Al Jazeera reported that about 5,000 people, including 1,200 children, were still in Ceuta weeks later, and that thousands protested across Spain on Wednesday over the government’s response.