Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated on August 17 that there is no information from intelligence agencies suggesting that Moroccan authorities were linked to the mass border crossing into Ceuta in late July, which saw more than 70,000 people enter the North African territory.
Speaking on Cadena Ser radio, Sánchez stressed that the crisis could only be resolved through cooperation with Morocco, not through distrust, which would only worsen the already complex situation in Ceuta.
According to data from non-governmental organizations, at least 141 people are believed to have died trying to enter Ceuta during the migrant surge in late July. The event triggered a political crisis, a humanitarian emergency, and heightened tensions over immigration within the European Union.
Most migrants have returned to Morocco in recent weeks, but hundreds, including minors, remain living on the streets of Ceuta, leading to friction with local residents. Sánchez said about 1,500 migrants remain in Ceuta, of whom 1,200 are minors, and that sufficient accommodation for all those remaining will soon be available.
The Spanish prime minister again criticized "criminal gangs" for spreading false information that a Spanish Supreme Court ruling meant that anyone entering Ceuta by swimming could not be deported to Morocco. He also alleged that fake news had been circulated on social media accounts "linked to Russia, Israel, and the international far-right" in an effort to attack Spain and Europe.
The presence of migrants has led to clashes between some Ceuta residents and police, while some migrants have been burned belongings while sleeping on the beach. On Saturday, four Moroccan migrants were arrested for throwing stones at Spanish soldiers.
Spain's conservative People's Party has accused the government of failing to protect Ceuta's residents. Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo said the government "did nothing to avoid the incursion on July 30 and has done nothing to prevent the public order crisis that is worsening." Meanwhile, far-right Vox party leader Santiago Abascal described the event as "an invasion and an act of war instigated by Morocco and permitted by Sánchez."
