Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has denied claims that Morocco orchestrated a surge of 70,000 people crossing into Ceuta, a Spanish enclave, a month ago. The police report suggested the influx was planned to overwhelm border controls, but Sanchez said no evidence supports the claim.
Sanchez said Moroccan police allowed crossings during a 10-hour peak period on July 30, but Spanish authorities have not determined if this was due to inaction or inability to contain the influx. The report alleged Moroccan security forces deployed fewer officers near the border and did not attempt to disperse the crowds.
The report, commissioned by a High Court judge, cited migrant accounts of guidance from Moroccan security forces, but Moroccan authorities denied any permissiveness, blaming traffickers, a Spanish court ruling, and social media for the influx. Sanchez has defended Morocco, highlighting Rabat's cooperation in returning most migrants within 48 hours.
About 5,000 people, including 1,200 children, remain in Ceuta weeks later, and thousands of protesters have rallied across Spain against the government's response to the crisis.