Spain received intelligence alerts before Ceuta migrant surge, officials say
Spanish authorities were warned days in advance about a large migrant crossing into Ceuta, but deployment of additional forces was delayed despite the warnings.
New intelligence from military and civilian sources indicated that Spain had been alerted to the risk of a mass migrant arrival in the North African enclave of Ceuta several days before the event. Alerts were issued in the hours preceding the crossing, which saw tens of thousands of people move from Morocco into the Spanish territory.
The warnings noted that King Mohammed VI might make a "gesture of magnanimity" at the border to coincide with Morocco's Throne Day celebrations, and later reports described migrants swimming from Fnideq and buses transporting people toward the border. Over a ten-day period, about 1,000 individuals swam into Ceuta, which officials interpreted as a test by Moroccan authorities.
Ultimately, between 60,000 and 75,000 migrants entered Ceuta, the largest influx in the city’s history, while roughly 53,000 returned to Morocco in the following days. Border forces from the Civil Guard and National Police were overwhelmed and focused on assisting the injured, according to sources. Critics said the government did not deploy the army immediately, even though military units were on standby in Ceuta and Melilla.
One source said the Moroccan gendarmerie "stood with their arms folded" as migrants attempted the crossing. The situation differed from a 2021 incident when Morocco eased border controls in response to Spain’s admission of a Polisario Front leader. A recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that bars the immediate return of migrants who reach Spanish territory by swimming has contributed to the rising number of sea arrivals.
The Interior Ministry later described cooperation with Morocco as "exemplary, loyal and permanent." Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the mass entry a "violation of Spain's territorial integrity" and blamed people-smuggling networks for exploiting the court ruling. He said Moroccan authorities had cooperated "swiftly and consistently" from the start, and that Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska had reinforced border security as sea arrivals grew, adding about thirty officers and a patrol boat that later malfunctioned. Despite the intelligence warnings, the interior ministry ordered reinforcements only late on Thursday, calling in the army and additional civil guard and police personnel.