Declassified Files Reveal Spanish Intelligence Warned of Ceuta Migrant Surge Prior to Mass Crossing

Freshly declassified government files have revealed that Spain's intelligence services were aware of coordinated online calls for a mass border crossing into the North African exclave of Ceuta the day before tens of thousands of migrants crossed the frontier. The revelation has ignited fierce domestic controversy over whether the national government adequately warned the public and properly prepared for the unfolding emergency.

The disclosure emerged from a batch of more than forty national security documents recently made public by Spanish authorities. The declassification followed weeks of escalating political scrutiny aimed at Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whose administration has faced intense criticism over its transparency regarding the border influx and the precise timeline of official warnings.

According to the released files, Spain's National Intelligence Service, known as the CNI, sent a notification on 29 July to counterpart intelligence services in Morocco. The agency pointed out that multiple digital discussion groups were actively encouraging people to mount an organized attempt to reach the autonomous Spanish city the very next day.

The intelligence findings highlighted widespread activity across popular social platforms, specifically tracking networks on WhatsApp and Facebook. The CNI noted that these communications were reaching an estimated audience of approximately 180,000 individuals, outlining plans to reach Spanish territory either by scaling border fencing or by swimming through coastal waters.

One intercepted message detailed within the declassified dossier urged individuals to take advantage of Morocco's Throne Day celebrations on 30 July. The message indicated that it was a final opportunity to attempt the crossing at eight o'clock, noting that local security personnel would likely be distracted by official national holiday parades and festivities.

In addition to alerting Moroccan officials, the CNI also relayed notifications to Spain's Civil Guard and the central government's administrative delegation in Ceuta via text messaging on 29 July, flagging the extensive social media mobilization ahead of the anticipated surge.

The subsequent influx on 30 and 31 July saw at least 72,000 migrants enter Ceuta from Morocco. The vast majority of those arriving negotiated the sea barrier by swimming around the perimeter fence. The crossing proved perilous, with figures provided by the mayor of Ceuta confirming that at least 100 people lost their lives during the attempt.

While the majority of the individuals who arrived have since returned, as many as 5,000 people continue to reside in makeshift camps, on public beaches, and across the streets of the exclave. This ongoing presence has fueled significant local unrest, with residents voicing safety concerns and some individuals actively dismantling temporary shelters and obstructing humanitarian aid deliveries.

The release of the security papers has sharply challenged earlier statements made by Prime Minister Sánchez, who had consistently asserted that the events unfolding on 30 July were impossible to foresee. In earlier parliamentary testimony, Sánchez stated that no available intelligence had conveyed the magnitude of the crisis, repeating on Spanish television just before the declassification that the mass entry was entirely unexpected.

Opposition leaders quickly condemned the government's narrative following the release of the CNI files. Ester Muñoz, representing the conservative People's Party, declared that ministers possessed the necessary information beforehand, asserting that the administration bore direct accountability for what she termed the invasion of Ceuta as well as the resultant fatalities.

Further sharp criticism came from Jorge Buxadé of the far-right Vox party, who stated on social media that the documents demonstrated that the prime minister and his political allies should face proceedings before the Supreme Court on grounds of treason and security offenses.

The newly disclosed files also intersect with broader tensions concerning Morocco's potential role in the incident. While a leaked Spanish police report surfaced earlier in the month suggesting possible Moroccan police involvement in facilitating the crossings, Sánchez has continually maintained that no concrete evidence links Moroccan authorities to the events.

Defending the administration's actions, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated that he was not aware of any intelligence report capable of predicting the full magnitude of what occurred at the border on 30 July. The government maintained that its officials operated strictly in line with the information at their disposal.

An unnamed government source further reiterated that the published intelligence records confirm the available early data was insufficient to forecast the extraordinary volume of arrivals or allow adequate time to mount a comprehensive operational response.

Meanwhile, Miguel Ángel Pérez Triano, the central government's official delegate in Ceuta, addressed the text messages sent by the CNI to his office on the eve of the surge. He explained that the communications from 29 July represented routine informational exchanges between agencies rather than a formal warning or official alert.