🕒 Created · Updated

Pedro Sánchez faces criticism as declassified documents reveal prior warnings of mass migrant surge into Ceuta

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is facing political scrutiny after the government declassified 40 documents revealing that intelligence agencies issued warnings about a mass migrant influx into Ceuta just one day before it occurred. On July 29, the National Intelligence Service warned authorities of social media calls for migrants to cross the border by sea and land on July 30. The warnings noted that groups with 180,000 followers were encouraging the crossing, specifically mentioning that migrants might take advantage of Morocco's Throne Day celebrations. Despite these warnings, the administration maintains that the reports did not predict the specific scale or nature of the crisis. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez argued that while the campaign was monitored, it did not constitute a formal alert of the magnitude of the influx. However, opposition parties have criticized the government for failing to provide the full story, with some accusing the administration of misleading the public. The documents also highlight that at least 72,000 migrants crossed into the territory on July 30 and 31, resulting in at least 100 deaths. Currently, approximately 5,000 migrants remain in the city, causing a prolonged humanitarian crisis.

Sources

Paywall and unreadable sources