Spanish intelligence services issued a warning to Moroccan and Ceuta authorities regarding social media activity promoting a mass migrant crossing, according to declassified government documents released this week. On 29 July, the National Intelligence Service identified WhatsApp and Facebook groups encouraging people to cross into the Spanish enclave the following day, with approximately 180,000 people receiving messages about the planned attempt.
The crossing proceeded as warned on 30 July and 31 July, with at least 72,000 migrants entering Ceuta from Morocco. Most swam around border fencing, and Ceuta’s mayor reported that at least 100 people died during the crossings. Although the majority of those who crossed subsequently returned to Morocco, as many as 5,000 migrants remained in makeshift camps or on the city’s streets and beaches, creating tension within the autonomous Spanish city.
The declassified documents have intensified political controversy surrounding the government’s response to the crisis. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez previously stated to parliament that there was insufficient intelligence indicating the scale of events that would unfold at the end of July. Opposition parties contend that the released materials demonstrate the government provided incomplete accounts to Spanish citizens about its preparedness.
Government officials have maintained that the advance warnings did not enable them to anticipate the magnitude of the crossing or to mount an adequate response in time. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated he was unaware of reports forecasting the scale of what occurred, while Miguel Ángel Pérez Triano, the central government’s representative in Ceuta, characterized the intelligence service messages as routine information exchanges rather than formal alerts. The controversy also touches on allegations of Moroccan involvement in facilitating the crossings, which the Spanish government continues to deny.
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