Spain Declassifies Warning It Gave Morocco Ahead of Deadly Ceuta Border Crossing
Spain has released information showing its intelligence service warned Morocco about social media calls for a mass migrant crossing into Ceuta, an event that left more than 100 people dead and triggered a political crisis.
Spanish authorities have declassified information confirming that the country's intelligence service alerted Moroccan officials in advance about online calls urging migrants to attempt a mass crossing of the border into Ceuta, Spain's enclave in North Africa.
What happened
Calls circulating on social media urged people to head to the border and attempt to cross into Ceuta. The resulting events turned deadly, with more than 100 people losing their lives during the crossing attempt. The tragedy sparked a significant political crisis in Spain, raising questions about how authorities handled the situation and whether it could have been prevented.
A warning issued in advance
The newly declassified information shows that Spain's intelligence service had informed Moroccan authorities of the planned border crossing beforehand, based on the social media calls it had observed. The disclosure has now come to light amid scrutiny of the events and debate over political responsibility for the deadly outcome.
The declassification appears aimed at clarifying how authorities on both sides of the border acted after receiving the warning, and whether the loss of life might have been avoided.
