Spain's declassified documents show spy agency warned of Ceuta mass crossing before crisis

Spain has declassified security documents showing its spy agency warned of planned mass crossings into Ceuta a day before tens of thousands of migrants surged into the enclave.

• Intelligence service CNI sent Spanish and Moroccan authorities a WhatsApp alert on July 29 about social media calls for a mass crossing of Ceuta's border fence and sea on July 30.
• At least 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta on July 30–31, and roughly 5,000 remain in the enclave, according to Spanish government figures.
• Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the warnings did not indicate the scale, nature, or probability of the crisis, while opposition parties accused the government of direct responsibility.
• A CNI note from July 30 said it was highly likely Moroccan authorities acted negligently and passively but were not actively encouraging the migratory wave.

Latest developments

• Sep 10 — Declassified documents show around 180,000 people received text messages urging them to cross, including one citing the throne holiday at 8 PM as the final chance.
• Sep 10 — Vox member Jorge Buxadé has said the documents show Pedro Sánchez and his 'gang of criminals' should face the Supreme Court on treason charges.