Spain’s national intelligence agency declassified forty documents revealing that officials received multiple warnings about planned mass border breaches into Ceuta in late July 2026. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez rejected claims that the intelligence adequately indicated the massive scale of the crisis, which left thousands of migrants stranded.
Weeks after tens of thousands of people rushed across the border into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, newly declassified government files have laid bare the precise intelligence warnings received by Madrid before the crisis. The release of the 40-document trove, which includes alerts, intelligence reports, charts and communications from multiple law enforcement and intelligence agencies, highlights growing political friction over who bears responsibility for the influx and whether authorities missed clear warning signs.
The trove of 40 documents was released on Wednesday amid near-daily protests in Ceuta over the Spanish government’s handling of the crisis, as well as questions over neighbouring Morocco’s role in the events.
WhatsApp Warnings and Social Media Mobilization
On July 29, just a day before more than 72,000 people began pouring into the city from Morocco, Spain’s National Intelligence Center sent an urgent alert via WhatsApp to the Spanish government’s delegation in Ceuta about calls on social media for an assault on the fence and by sea tomorrow at 8 pm
.
The intelligence agency emphasized the digital mobilization behind the planned breaches. Another message in the file noted, There are two different groups with a total of 180,000 followers,
referencing social media groups, just to give you an idea of its scale
. Concurrently, the agency alerted Moroccan intelligence agencies DGST and DGED of plans for migrants to enter Ceuta by climbing the border fence or swimming around it, mentioning that the plans could take advantage of Morocco’s national Throne Day, celebrated on July 30. That same day, Spain’s national intelligence agency issued similar warnings about several groups on Facebook and WhatsApp encouraging these attempts
in messages to Spain’s Civil Guard police force.
Sánchez Defends the Government Amid Political Backlash
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday rejected the idea that the declassified documents revealed there was prior warning of a border crisis on the scale of what took place between July 30 and 31.
The existence of this campaign was known to other institutions and was being monitored, but in no way did it constitute or could it be interpreted as an indicator of the scale, nature, or probability of what happened afterward,
Sánchez wrote on X.
Political opponents have seized on the documents to attack the administration’s handling of the border security collapse and accused him of pandering to Morocco. Ester Munoz, spokeswoman for the right-wing Popular Party in parliament, placed direct blame on national leadership, telling reporters that The government knew everything that was happening… They had the information. They are directly responsible for the invasion of Ceuta.
Accusations of Moroccan Passivity
The newly public documents also shed light on tensions surrounding Morocco’s posture during the border rush. Sanchez had previously said there was no evidence of Morocco’s involvement in the crisis, despite a leaked police report in July that alleged total permissiveness
from Moroccan police during the border rush, and stated last week there was no evidence that Morocco’s government orchestrated the incident. A Defense Ministry intelligence report issued on July 30 stated that Moroccan forces were passive and acted negligently to stop migrants, noting that it cannot be ruled out that Morocco may attempt to exploit the situation that has arisen in Ceuta to further its strategic interests.
A declassified document issued by CNI at midday on July 30 states that it is highly likely that the Moroccan authorities are not actively encouraging the migratory wave, but have so far acted in a negligent and passive manner
. It said that, at the operational level, no proactive response from Moroccan authorities was observed regarding the loss of control over the situation, beyond the deployment of a few riot control units
. In the same note, it said many people on the night of July 29 were already waiting to jump into the water to reach Ceuta
. The increased presence of Moroccan police and gendarmes proved insufficient to control the crowd, and, that night, several hundred migrants swam across,
it said. Morocco’s foreign ministry didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press about the documents, and there was no immediate comment from Morocco.
Humanitarian Fallout and Ongoing Uncertainty in Ceuta
Weeks after the initial rush, the Mediterranean exclave remains caught in a prolonged humanitarian emergency. About 5,000 migrants and asylum seekers, including 1,200 minors, still remain in Ceuta, more than a month after the mass crossing, according to the Spanish government. Local officials cite a higher figure of up to 10,000 people living in makeshift camps, on streets, and across local beaches, with unaccompanied minors among them, as the Reuters news agency notes.
In response to the crisis, Madrid has pledged $357m in aid as some remain unhoused in the small city. Meanwhile, Sánchez pledged last week to release documents related to Spain’s deadliest mass crossing, in which NGOs reported that more than 140 migrants died, while local communities continue to stage protests over the handling of the border.
