Spanish intelligence services reportedly observed social‑media calls encouraging migrants to cross into Ceuta on July 29, a day before more than 72,000 people arrived between July 30 and 31. Declassified documents from the National Intelligence Service (CNI) show that the CNI had warned Moroccan and Ceuta authorities of WhatsApp and Facebook group activity that promoted the crossing, and that the government claimed the mass arrival was unintended.
201‑pilot officials sent text alerts to the central government’s Ceuta delegation and the civil guard, noting that the calls promised a “last chance” for migrants to cross on the day of Throne celebrations. The CNI estimated that around 180,000 people received the messages. Despite such intelligence, the crossing succeeded, with at least 100 deaths recorded during the ordeal.
The revelations arrived amid criticism of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s handling of the crisis, with opposition politicians saying the government misled the public. Sánchez, however, insisted no evidence existed that Morocco had actively facilitated the crossings, and reiterated that he had not anticipated the scale of the surge.
Ceuta residents, claiming safety concerns over the influx, have destroyed shelters and blocked aid to refugees. Meanwhile, the incident has drawn protests across Spain and intensified debates over migration policy and bilateral relations with Morocco.
The CNI’s documents are part of a larger tranche of over 40 security records released as pressure mounted for transparency about the events in the autonomous Spanish city in North Africa.
