Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told parliament Thursday that “Spain has not found conclusive evidence that the deadly migrant surge in July was planned or carried out by Moroccan authorities.” But Sánchez acknowledged: “Indeed, the Gendarmerie (Moroccan military police forces) allowed crossings for 10 hours.”
1+The statement follows a police report recently revealed by Reuters that sparked controversy. The report claimed that on the day of the breach into Ceuta from the Moroccan border, Moroccan security forces deployed in unusually small numbers in the area separating the two countries and made no attempt to disperse the crowd of migrants.
Moreover, according to the report, several uniformed Moroccan police officers were seen giving directions toward the crossing point, while other unidentified individuals appeared to be guiding or supervising the flow of people. Sánchez partially rejected the claims: “I can assure you that no international body has provided the Spanish government with solid evidence of these things.”
1+In late July, tens of thousands of migrants broke through from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa, by land and sea. At the peak of the incident on July 30, Spanish authorities estimated that more than 49,000 people crossed the border within 24 hours, forcing Spain to rush army and police forces to the area. At least 19 people were found dead in the water.