Spanish police report: Moroccan forces showed 'total permissiveness' during Ceuta migrant rush

A Spanish police report seen by AFP on Wednesday found that Moroccan security forces showed 'total permissiveness' during the unprecedented influx of migrants into Spain's north African enclave of Ceuta in July. The report noted that the police presence near the border was noticeably thinner than usual, and it quoted migrants describing a 'passive attitude' among Moroccan officers as the crossing unfolded.

On Wednesday, thousands of people demonstrated in Madrid and in more than 200 other towns, protesting the still-unresolved humanitarian situation in Ceuta and holding Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government responsible for its response. Demonstrators carried Spanish flags and chanted slogans affirming Ceuta's unity, alongside hostile chants directed at migrants remaining in the city.

Last month, roughly 72,000 people crossed into the small Spanish enclave bordering Morocco, and at least 90 people died attempting to reach European territory. While most of the migrants were quickly sent back across the border or returned on their own, national government figures show about 5,000 people, including 1,200 minors, are still in Ceuta weeks after the surge.

What triggered the mass crossing remains unclear; the government has pointed to an online social media campaign as a contributing factor. The sudden arrival of tens of thousands of people placed severe strain on Ceuta, a territory of roughly 84,000 residents, and stirred anger among locals. Regional authorities contend that Madrid failed to heed warning signs before the border was overwhelmed.

Ceuta's regional president, Juan Jesus Vivas, said at a Wednesday commemorative event that what occurred was not a migration crisis but a breach of Spain's territorial integrity. Vivas belongs to the conservative Popular Party, which along with the far-right Vox party has seized on the Ceuta crisis as a rallying point in its political campaign against the left-wing national government. Wednesday's demonstrations were organised by the nominally nonpartisan Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, though they received strong backing from both PP and Vox.