Media: Border unions warned Spain of Ceuta surge before 94 deaths

In the weeks before more than 70,000 migrants rushed toward Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta, Spanish border workers warned the central government that social media was encouraging people to attempt the journey by sea and could trigger a larger surge. The warnings were largely ignored, according to border unions and documents reviewed by Reuters.

A Spanish court ruling published on June 29 said migrants could be immediately pushed back only if they crossed a physical barrier, meaning the provision did not apply to people who swam into Ceuta. News of the ruling, along with videos showing successful entries, encouraged more migrants to try.

Spain blamed the deadly July 29-30 rush on misinformation about the ruling spread by criminal networks. Authorities say 80 people died, while Morocco recovered 14 bodies, bringing confirmed deaths to 94. Human rights groups say others remain missing.

Rachid Sbihi, spokesman for the Civil Guard union AUGC in Ceuta, said the scale of the surge was unimaginable but warned that the ruling would attract more arrivals.

“[But] we understood the ruling would trigger more arrivals. The ruling, the criminal gangs, and social media networks were an explosive cocktail,” he told Reuters.

Reuters reviewed six written statements and letters sent by border unions to Spanish authorities after the ruling. On July 10, AUGC said the decision had “opened a legal loophole which only well-defined protocols can close,” adding that until a sea barrier was installed, “the ball is in the court of those who must provide clear instructions to agents at the border every night.”

Three days later, police union SUP warned that criminal networks adapt their routes when return procedures become more difficult, calling for reinforcements and a “coherent and effective” immigration policy. In a July 23 letter, it reported “constant arrivals by sea” and called for a temporary reception centre.

The Interior Ministry did not respond, while a government delegate offered a meeting weeks later, unions said.

Authorities rejected a link between earlier arrivals and the mass crossing. The Interior Ministry said it assessed options before installing a floating barrier on August 1, just 48 hours after deciding to do so.

Morocco, which received €152 million ($176 million) from the EU in 2023 for border management, also faced criticism. Although authorities had detected increased crossing attempts, stronger checks began only one to two days before the mass crossing. Significant reinforcements arrived only after the numbers reached tens of thousands.

“They didn't do anything proactive. That strikes me as a policy failure,” said Riccardo Fabiani of the International Crisis Group.

The events have renewed questions over Europe’s reliance on neighboring countries to control its borders. Spain, Morocco and the EU have nevertheless praised their cooperation and pledged to strengthen border controls.

Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi criticized Spain’s migration policy, asking: “If Spain announces that it is willing to receive all immigrants, why are we forcing people to jump the fences and throw themselves into the sea?” He added: “Let's open the borders... If you are going to receive them, why are we stopping them?”

By Tamilla Hasanova