A police report describing the deadly July rush into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta as a coordinated operation has not established that Morocco organized or participated in it, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told parliament on Thursday.
Speaking in the lower house, Sanchez said the Spanish government had received no credible evidence from Morocco’s diplomatic service, the European Commission or any international organization linking Moroccan authorities to the planning or execution of the mass crossing.
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“I can assure you that no institution – not the diplomatic service, nor the European Commission, nor any international body – has provided the Spanish government with any solid evidence that Morocco planned or carried out the incident. None whatsoever,” Sanchez said.
He acknowledged, however, that Morocco’s Gendarmerie allowed migrants to cross during a pivotal 10-hour period on July 30, when the arrivals reached their highest level. Spanish authorities, he said, had not yet determined whether Moroccan forces failed to act or were unable to control the influx.
A police report seen by Reuters said Moroccan security forces had initially deployed fewer officers than usual near the Tarajal breakwater, which separates Ceuta from Morocco. The report also said the officers made no serious effort to disperse the crowds.
According to the report, some uniformed Moroccan officers directed people toward the crossing, while other unidentified individuals appeared to guide or observe the movement. It did not name any of the officers or provide independently verified evidence that Moroccan authorities had ordered the operation.
Moroccan officials have denied facilitating the crossing.
On Monday, Sanchez accused Russia and Israel of disseminating disinformation about Spain’s migration policy, helping to fuel the surge into Ceuta.
He said research by the EU’s diplomatic service, known as the EEAS, indicated that Russian and Israeli networks had spread the disinformation in coordination with far-right groups.
Sanchez said it was clear that both countries had exploited the crisis to attack Madrid because of its positions on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. He did not provide further details about the evidence supporting the claim.
More than 72,000 migrants crossed irregularly from Morocco into the small Spanish territory between July 30 and 31 in an unprecedented surge at one of the European Union’s only two land borders with Africa. The episode raised alarm across the bloc. Ceuta’s local authorities said at least 100 people died in the attempt.
About 5,000 migrants, including some seeking asylum, have remained in Ceuta. The prolonged crisis has prompted near-daily protests by residents over the Spanish government’s response, as well as sporadic attacks on a makeshift migrant camp at El Trampolin beach, according to police reports.
