Spanish Intelligence: Morocco Facilitated, Not Orchestrated, Ceuta Migrant Crisis

Following the recent migrant crisis in Ceuta, which saw over 60,000 individuals enter the Spanish enclave on the Moroccan coast by circumventing borders, Spanish intelligence services have concluded that while Morocco did not orchestrate the mass influx, its authorities actively facilitated it. Rabat reportedly capitalized on the international attention the event garnered, despite the confirmed drowning of 72 people at sea.

According to an analysis reported by El País, the surge in migrants – which had been escalating in the days prior before peaking on Thursday, July 30th, when thousands simultaneously entered the town of 85,000 inhabitants – was triggered by a false rumor spread through social media and messaging groups. This rumor stemmed from a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling stating that migrants reaching Ceuta and Melilla by swimming could not be immediately expelled and were entitled to administrative proceedings.

Consequently, thousands of Moroccans, primarily young men, believed they could remain in Spain without repatriation. However, this proved untrue, and most returned to Morocco, crossing the land border on foot days after their sea arrival. A new physical barrier has since been installed at sea.

Thursday, July 30th, also coincided with a Moroccan public holiday, the Fête du Trône (Throne Day), during which border surveillance was significantly reduced and eventually lifted, allowing the crowds to pass.

Spanish intelligence suggests that Moroccan authorities were aware of the circulating misinformation on social media but took no action to prevent it. They saw it as an opportunity to damage Spain's international image and its government, with whom they are in conflict on numerous fronts. These include Spain's stance on Western Sahara (Spain recently granted nationality to approximately 70,000 Sahrawis born under Spanish administration before 1976 and their first-degree descendants) and a recent agreement between Spain and Algeria, a political rival of Morocco. Some speculate that the decision for the 2030 World Cup final host city, a joint bid between Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, is not yet finalized and could also be a reason for Morocco to exploit a political crisis in Spain, even at the cost of its citizens' lives.