Spanish intelligence flagged social-media calls before mass migrant crossing into Ceuta
Declassified documents reveal Spain's intelligence service warned Moroccan and Ceuta authorities on July 29 about online calls for a large migrant crossing, which occurred the next day.
Spain's National Intelligence Service (CNI) alerted Moroccan and Ceuta officials on July 29 that WhatsApp and Facebook groups were urging migrants to attempt a crossing into the Spanish enclave the following day. The warning noted that around 180,000 people were receiving the messages, which suggested the crossing would coincide with local celebrations on July 30.
On July 30 and 31, an estimated 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta, many swimming around the border fence. Ceuta's mayor reported at least 100 deaths and that up to 5,000 people remain in temporary shelters or on the streets, prompting local unrest.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has maintained that the scale of the event could not have been predicted, while opposition figures argue the declassified documents show the government misled the public. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said he was unaware of any report that could have foreseen the magnitude of the crossing. A government source added that the information available before the event did not allow authorities to anticipate its scale or prepare an adequate response.