Documents show Spanish spy agency flagged Ceuta mass-crossing plans a day ahead

Declassified Spanish government documents reveal that the National Intelligence Service (CNI) informed Moroccan and Ceuta authorities on 29 July that social media groups were urging migrants to attempt a mass crossing the following day. The disclosure comes amid accusations that the government withheld the full picture of the migrant surge from the public.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has repeatedly said the events of 30 July could not have been foreseen, telling parliament there was no information indicating the scale of the coming crisis. Opposition parties argue the newly released material contradicts this account.

On 30 and 31 July, at least 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta, most by swimming around a border fence. According to figures from Ceuta's mayor, at least 100 people died during the crossing. While most were later returned, as many as 5,000 migrants remain in makeshift camps or sleeping on the city's streets and beaches, fueling unrest — residents have voiced safety concerns, and some have destroyed shelters and blocked aid deliveries.

In its 29 July note, the CNI told Moroccan intelligence it had identified WhatsApp and Facebook groups reaching around 180,000 people with messages urging them to exploit Throne Day celebrations, when authorities would be distracted, to cross by swimming or via the fence. The agency also alerted the central government's office in Ceuta and the civil guard by text message.

The note is among more than 40 security documents declassified following mounting pressure on Sánchez over allegations that Morocco facilitated the crossings. Opposition figures from the People's Party and far-right Vox accused the government of direct responsibility. The government maintains it acted on the information available, and Ceuta's central government delegate said the 29 July messages were not an alert but simply an exchange of information.