Official documents: Spanish intelligence warned of a mass influx of migrants to Ceuta a day before it happened

Newly declassified government documents showed that Spanish intelligence services warned of calls on social media for a mass crossing of migrants into Ceuta, a day before tens of thousands of people entered the city.

This information was revealed in documents that the Spanish government declassified, amid accusations that it did not reveal the full account of the influx of migrants.

On July 29, Spain's National Intelligence Service informed Moroccan and Ceuta authorities that social media groups were encouraging migrants to cross the next day.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez insists that the events of July 30 could not have been foreseen, but opposition parties say the documents show the government misled Spaniards.

Sanchez had previously told Parliament that there was “no information indicating the scale of the crisis we were going to face” in the last two days of July.

At least 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco to Ceuta on July 30 and 31. Most of them swam around the border fence, while at least 100 people died while crossing, according to figures from the mayor of Ceuta.

Although most of them have returned, up to five thousand people are still residing in temporary camps or sleeping in the city's streets and on its beaches, which has led to unrest in the autonomous Spanish city in North Africa.

Local residents expressed concerns about their safety, while some destroyed shelters and prevented the delivery of aid to migrants.

In a memorandum dated July 29, the Spanish National Intelligence Service informed its Moroccan counterpart that it had detected groups on WhatsApp and Facebook promoting an attempt for migrants to reach the Spanish enclave the next day, “whether by swimming or across the border fence.”

The agency reported that about 180,000 people were receiving these messages, and one of them stated: “Whoever wants to cross will have the last chance on Throne Day (July 30), at eight o’clock. The authorities will be busy with celebrations and parades.”

The agency also warned, via text message, the central government representation in Ceuta and the Civil Guard against this activity on social media.

The letters are part of a group of more than 40 security documents related to the crossing to Ceuta, which the government declassified after mounting pressure on Sanchez regarding his management of the crisis, and the spread of accusations in Spain that Morocco played a role in facilitating the crossing operations.

Earlier this month, a leaked Spanish police report appeared to indicate Moroccan police involvement in the incident.

But Sanchez continued to stress that there was no evidence indicating Moroccan complicity.

Before the documents were published on Wednesday, he told Spanish television that “the mass arrival of migrants was not expected.”

However, opposition politicians said that newly published documents contradict this claim.

“They had the information, and they are directly responsible for the invasion of Ceuta and for those who died,” said Esther Muñoz, from the conservative Popular Party.

Jorge Buxade, of the far-right Vox party, said on social media that the documents showed that Sanchez “and his gang of criminals should be brought to the Supreme Court on charges of treason and security crimes.”

The government continued to assert that it acted in accordance with the available information.