Sánchez’s release of declassified Ceuta files turns into ‘own goal’
Official notes show Spanish intelligence services warned of a mass incursion, contradicting the government’s claim that the surge could not have been predicted.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez may have thought that releasing official files on the mass migrant influx into Ceuta would clear his government's name in the crisis. However, the declassified documents are proving to be a political disaster, with one of his parliamentary allies calling it an "own goal." Spanish intelligence agencies and security forces had issued several warnings about the impending mass incursion days before 72,000 migrants flooded into Ceuta on July 30.
On the eve of the influx, Spain's National Intelligence Service had warned the Civil Guard and the government delegation in Ceuta about a planned assault via social media, citing a group with 180,000 followers. The intelligence service also shared urgent messages with Moroccan counterparts, expressing gratitude for their collaboration.
The documents also contain 18 reports highlighting a rise in unauthorized entries into Ceuta earlier in the summer and a letter from the Civil Guard proposing enhanced border security. Despite insisting that the files show no way to prevent the surge, the government's interpretation is being widely challenged. Critics, including political parties and lawmakers, argue that the release of these documents has only made the government's handling of the crisis look worse, leading to calls for snap elections and questions about Sánchez's leadership.
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