Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told parliament on Thursday that Spain has not received "conclusive evidence from any body or international organization" that Morocco planned or organized a surge of migrants into Ceuta in late July. Sánchez made the statement as a police report released this week concluded that the mass crossing was a planned operation executed in phases to overwhelm border controls, not a spontaneous event.
The police report's leak triggered significant controversy in recent weeks. Morocco has previously denied facilitating the crossings, and Sánchez's statement appeared intended to align Spain's official position with that denial.
Sánchez said Spain had found no evidence that Moroccan authorities "arranged or implemented" the wave of migrants crossing from Morocco into Ceuta, which resulted in deaths. He told lawmakers that no EU institution, including the European External Action Service and the European Commission, had provided Spain with proof of Moroccan planning or execution.
However, Sánchez acknowledged that Moroccan gendarmerie forces allowed the crossings to occur during a 10-hour window on July 30, when arrivals peaked. He said Spanish authorities had not yet determined whether that resulted from negligence or an inability to contain the flow.
The Spanish government has urged King Felipe VI to visit Ceuta and Melilla, two Spanish territories in North Africa, within coming weeks. A 2007 visit by a Spanish monarch to the cities triggered a crisis with Morocco, which claims sovereignty over both enclaves.
Sánchez said Ceuta needs state support "more than ever" following the July crisis. He added that the government believes a royal visit is necessary, noting that no head of state has visited Ceuta and Melilla in 20 years.
