In brief
Declassified documents show the National Intelligence Service warned Moroccan and Ceuta authorities on 29 July that Instagram and WhatsApp groups were urging migrants to cross the next day. Although officials say the arrival was unforeseen, opposition parties argue the warning means the government misled citizens. Roughly 72,000 people attempted to enter Ceuta on 30–31 July, with dozens dying. Political leaders now face scrutiny over their handling of the surge.
Spanish intelligence declassified documents reveal that the National Intelligence Service (CNI) warned Moroccan and Ceuta authorities on 29 July that social‑media groups were promoting a mass migration crossing the next day.
The warning came after the CNI identified WhatsApp and Facebook groups encouraging migrants to swim across the Dar al‑hammam border or climb a fence, with one message claiming a "last chance" on 30 July during the city’s Throne Day celebrations.
On 30 and 31 July, about 72,000 people from Morocco attempted to enter the Spanish exclave, most swimming or cutting through a fence. The surge led to at least 100 deaths according to Ceuta’s mayor and left a handful of refugees stranded on beaches and in makeshift camps.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez maintained his position that the government had no information to forecast the scale of the event. Opposition parties counter that the CNI’s warning proves the government was aware and failed to act. Joseph Manuel Albares, the foreign minister, has said he was unaware of any report predicting the magnitude of the crisis.
Records show the CNI texted the central government’s Ceuta office and the civil guard with details of the social‑media activity, but officials argue such messages were merely an exchange of information and not an alert. The release of more than 40 security documents feeds a broader debate about the Spanish state’s readiness to manage cross‑border migration.
