World
Documents reveal warnings from Spanish intelligence about migrant surge in Ceuta
The Spanish government has released documents indicating that intelligence warned of a massive migrant surge in Ceuta.
According to released documents, Spanish intelligence services, specifically the CNI, issued a warning one day before the massive migrant surge to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. These warnings were communicated to both the Spanish government and Moroccan authorities. On July 30, 2021, over 70,000 migrants crossed the border into Ceuta in a short period, leading to a humanitarian crisis.
The documents, published by the Spanish government on Wednesday, include numerous reports and warnings. They show that the CNI had already been informed on July 29 about planned mass entries via social media. These alerts were directed at the relevant authorities in Ceuta and specifically concerned a significant mobilization on social platforms.
Reports indicate that groups had been activated on social media, followed by approximately 180,000 individuals. These groups called for actions aimed at securing access to Ceuta. The intelligence agency had predicted the possibility of a "raid via land and sea."
,_BI-B-FM-090-107.jpg){kind=link}
Despite these warnings, authorities in Ceuta struggled on July 30 against the overwhelming number of migrants. Government representatives in Ceuta and the Spanish police unit, Guardia Civil, were aware of the impending situation, which, however, was not sufficiently addressed.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is now facing increased criticism following the release of these documents. Critics accuse the government of not adequately responding to the warnings. While Spanish government officials emphasize that they were not informed about the full scale of the impending crisis, the released documents clearly indicate prior knowledge of the planned migration waves.
The revelations have triggered a political uproar in Spain, with heightened focus on the government's failure to manage the situation in a timely manner. The EU has announced plans to provide financial resources to strengthen borders and return migrants to Morocco. This could suggest that the issue requires higher priority at the European level.