Spanische Nordafrika-Exklave: Madrid bestreitet Warnung des Geheimdienstes vor Ceuta-Krise

Madrid has denied claims that it ignored warnings from the intelligence service CNI about a mass influx of migrants to the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta. The government states it received no intelligence reports warning of such a migration crisis. Meanwhile, the accommodation and repatriation of remaining migrants, as well as the search for additional fatalities, continue in Ceuta.

According to the Madrid Interior Ministry, 72 bodies have been recovered so far. Miguel Tellado, a spokesman for the opposition conservative Popular Party (PP), stated it was inconceivable that the CNI was unaware of the impending "human wave." Radio station Cadena Ser reported multiple warnings. Government spokeswoman Elma Saiz responded: "With such an unprecedented event, no one had expected it."

The majority of irregular migrants crossed from Morocco to Ceuta on Thursday, most swimming while others climbed over the six-meter-high border fence. The exact number remains unclear, with Ceuta's regional president Juan Jesús Vivas citing 80,000 arrivals, after initially estimating 60,000. Madrid maintains a count of 50,000, while Morocco reported around 40,000 migrants attempting to reach Ceuta.

Thousands of migrants still remain in Ceuta, with varying accounts of the death toll of those primarily lost at sea near the Strait of Gibraltar. Madrid continues to report 72 fatalities, while conservative regional government representatives claim at least 88 bodies. According to official figures, the majority of migrants have already returned to Morocco, though between 3,000 and 5,000 people are still present in Ceuta, according to regional government estimates.

While the situation has stabilized, it far from normal, said Vivas. The central government estimates 2,500 remaining migrants, stating repatriation efforts are ongoing. Ceuta has accommodated at least 862 unaccompanied minors since the influx, though only 29 places are available. Additional accommodations in converted buildings are being set up, and the adult reception center CETI, which can hold 600 people, is reportedly overwhelmed, with around 1,000 additional migrants in makeshift camps nearby.