Police analyze images from social networks to point to the possible participation of Moroccan agents in the entrance to Ceuta

Spanish police are examining social media footage suggesting Moroccan security forces may have played a role in facilitating the mass entry of migrants into Ceuta last July. According to an internal report submitted to Spain’s National Court, law enforcement officials believe both uniformed and plainclothes members of Morocco's security services might have been involved, based on images shared widely online and through traditional media. These visuals reportedly show Moroccan gendarmes adopting a passive stance or even assisting migrants, while others, identified by their appearance and behavior, could belong to Morocco’s intelligence agencies. The report, obtained by elDiario.es, does not present new information beyond what has already been publicly disclosed. Instead, it focuses on analyzing existing evidence, including differences from previous migrant influxes. It notes that most individuals who entered Ceuta returned to Morocco within hours, indicating they did not intend to migrate permanently. The report highlights the need for prior planning and strategic direction, citing elements such as the deliberate virality of messages, activation and deactivation of social media platforms, and messaging systems. According to the police analysis, this was a prearranged process with objectives distinct from migration. The document emphasizes the minimal presence of Moroccan security forces during the incident, the active guidance of the crowd toward border crossing points by these forces, and the absence of organized migrant trafficking networks capable of orchestrating such a large-scale operation. In a statement released today, Spain’s Interior Ministry noted that Police Chief Francisco Pardo informed Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska that no official police report attributes the planning or execution of the events on July 30 and 31 to Moroccan security forces. The National Center for Immigration and Borders included nine alerts and informational notes in its report, all sent by the center itself to border posts in Ceuta and Melilla, as well as to the General Directorate of Foreign Affairs and Borders and regional headquarters in Ceuta and Western Andalusia. Two of these alerts were issued in the days leading up to the mass arrival of migrants. The report also references a Supreme Court ruling from June confirming that migrants intercepted at sea could not be returned immediately. This decision has recently been cited by the Spanish government for its potential to attract more migrants. However, according to the police, it was not the ruling itself but its manipulation that amplified the influx. The ruling was interpreted as a viral message: “If you swim in, they can’t return you.” The police argue that this created a false yet credible legal foundation, encouraging more people to attempt the crossing. The timing of the mass entry on July 30, during Morocco’s Day of the Throne, a public holiday, was not considered coincidental by the police. Social media saw widespread sharing of the idea that Moroccan security forces, integrated into the protection detail for the royal family, had left Ceuta’s borders vulnerable. The fact that the celebration took place at the royal residence in M’diq, just over 20 kilometers from Ceuta, was interpreted as a form of tacit approval or legitimization by Moroccan authorities allowing the passage.