Spanish intelligence warned of Ceuta mass crossing plans before surge
Newly declassified documents reveal that Spanish intelligence warned the government of a planned mass migrant crossing into Ceuta a day before it occurred. The revelation contradicts earlier claims by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez that the event was impossible to predict.
Why it matters
The discrepancy between intelligence reports and government statements has sparked political controversy and accusations of dishonesty regarding border management.
Image source, Reuters By Guy Hedgecoe Reporting from Madrid Published 6 minutes ago Spanish intelligence services warned of social media calls for a mass migrant crossing into Ceuta the day before tens of thousands of people entered the territory, newly released government documents show.
The revelations emerged in documents declassified by the Spanish government amid accusations it failed to give the full story of the migrant influx.
On 29 July, Spain's National Intelligence Service (CNI) told Moroccan and Ceuta authorities that social media groups were encouraging migrants to cross the following day.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has insisted that the events of 30 July were impossible to predict, but opposition parties say the documents show the government misled Spaniards.
Sánchez had previously told parliament that there was "no information that conveyed the magnitude" of the "crisis we were going to suffer" on the last two days of July.
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