Spain’s spy agency warned of mass crossings into Ceuta before border crisis

What the report says

Spain’s intelligence service warned authorities in Madrid and in Morocco about possible large-scale migrant crossings into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta before the border crisis that unfolded in late July, according to declassified documents reported by Al Jazeera. The documents indicate that on July 29, a day before the mass arrivals, Spain’s National Intelligence Center alerted the government’s delegation in Ceuta to social media calls for an assault on the border fence and by sea. The agency also informed Moroccan intelligence services of plans to enter by climbing the fence or swimming around it.

Al Jazeera reported that the warnings came amid a period of heightened concern around Morocco’s Throne Day celebrations on July 30. A later intelligence note described Morocco’s response as insufficient and said the authorities appeared negligent and passive, though it did not say they were actively encouraging the crossings. The crisis saw more than 72,000 people enter Ceuta from Morocco over July 30 and 31, according to the article.

The release of 40 declassified documents has intensified debate in Spain, where protests have continued in Ceuta and the opposition has accused the government of failing to respond. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez rejected claims that the documents proved officials had known the scale of what was about to happen, and said the monitored online activity did not amount to a warning of the eventual crisis. Al Jazeera said thousands of migrants and asylum seekers remain in the enclave, with Madrid pledging aid as local authorities struggle with the fallout.