Spain's PM Sanchez says no evidence Morocco orchestrated Ceuta border surge

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has stated that there is no evidence to suggest that Morocco orchestrated or carried out the deadly border rush from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in July. According to Sanchez, no institution has provided the Spanish government with solid evidence that Morocco planned or carried out the incident.

A police report, however, alleged that Moroccan security forces showed "total permissiveness" during the unprecedented influx, allowing crossings during a key 10-hour period on July 30, when migrant arrivals peaked.

The incident saw an estimated 72,000 migrants cross from Morocco into Ceuta on July 30 and 31, with most having returned, but as many as 5,000 remaining in makeshift camps or scattered across the city's streets or on the beach. This has led to unrest in the autonomous city in North Africa and a crisis for Sanchez. Locals have held near-daily protests, calling for the migrants to be sent back to their countries of origin or redistributed across Spain.

According to The Jerusalem Post, Sanchez said that Moroccan Gendarmerie police allowed crossings during the 10-hour period, but it is unclear whether this was due to inaction or inability to contain the influx. Morocco has denied orchestrating or being involved in the mass crossing, with Sanchez blaming trafficking gangs and online misinformation for encouraging people to cross the border.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, Jerusalem Post, The Local Spain, El Pais English, KahawaTungu — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.