Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has accused Morocco of failing to control its side of the border during an unprecedented migrant surge in the North African territory of Ceuta.
More than 70,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta on 30 and 31 July in a chaotic and deadly rush that overwhelmed the enclave.
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Most were sent back to Morocco within hours. But several thousand remained in the Spanish territory, where tensions have since mounted. Violence has broken out, while local residents have staged demonstrations almost daily.
“We are investigating what happened in those days back in July but at the same time we have asked Morocco for actions and also for answers because it is also clear that its border control failed,” Mr Sanchez said in English during an interview with CNN in New York.
A Spanish police report seen by AFP found that the number of Moroccan officers deployed near the crossing was “clearly smaller than usual” and that they “made no serious attempt” to stop the influx.
Investigators based their findings on satellite imagery, videos published online and accounts from migrants.
Since the mass arrival, Spanish authorities have been working to identify the thousands still in Ceuta and assess whether they qualify for asylum. Unaccompanied children cannot be summarily deported.
Read more:How many migrants have remained in Ceuta since the mass influx?
