Spain’s Interior Ministry on Wednesday denied the existence of a police report concluding that Morocco orchestrated the flow of migrants into Ceuta in July, as the Spanish government seeks to preserve its relations with Rabat despite growing challenges.
More than 70,000 migrants entered Ceuta on July 30 and 31, swimming or walking in an unprecedented influx that left dozens of people dead.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Monday that Morocco was not responsible for the mass arrival of migrants in Ceuta, accusing Israel, Russia and the far right of spreading misinformation about the incident.
However, Spanish online newspaper El Español reported that Spain’s National Immigration and Border Center had concluded that the operation was “directed by Moroccan security forces” and that its purpose was unrelated to migration.
According to Spanish Interior Ministry sources cited on Wednesday, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska asked police to verify information concerning a report by a government body that allegedly pointed to a role by Moroccan security forces.
The minister reportedly sent a letter to National Police Chief Francisco Pardo requesting verification of the reports, which allegedly indicated that the center had forwarded the information to a judge gathering evidence about the incident.
“Any information of this nature should have been made immediately available to the National Security Council and to the other competent bodies in this field,” Grande-Marlaska said in his letter, according to ministry sources.
The sources said Pardo subsequently informed Grande-Marlaska that there was “absolutely no police report” attributing the planning or execution of what happened in Ceuta to Moroccan security forces.
The denial comes as Madrid attempts to maintain its diplomatic relationship with Rabat while facing renewed scrutiny over the circumstances surrounding the unprecedented migration surge.
