Spanish Intelligence Reportedly Warned of Ceuta Migrant Surge

Spanish intelligence services warned the government of the risk of a large-scale migrant influx before tens of thousands of people entered Ceuta, The Objective reported, citing anonymous military and civilian intelligence sources. The newspaper said Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government repeatedly ignored the warnings.

According to the sources, intelligence officials detected unusual movements of buses toward the Moroccan border town of Castillejos, as well as a growing number of migrants attempting to reach the Spanish enclave by sea. They assessed the activity as a possible precursor to a much larger influx.

The Objective also reported that the army could have been deployed sooner, as troops in both Ceuta and Melilla were ready to intervene. The Interior Ministry did not send reinforcements until Thursday evening, according to the website.

Sánchez described the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants as a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity. At the same time, he rejected doubts about cooperation with Morocco, which he described as swift and continuous.

The government has promised to strengthen border protection and accelerate the return of migrants.

(lud)