The crisis in Ceuta: did communication between Defense and Interior fail?

BarcelonaThis Monday, some media outlets have stated that the National Intelligence Centre (CNI) repeatedly warned the Ministry of the Interior that a massive influx of people from Morocco was approaching. However, sources from the Ministry of the Interior consulted by ARA have denied having any knowledge of the beginning of this crisis. "If we had been aware of a report saying what was going to happen on the 30th, we would obviously have acted," the same sources affirmed. Let us recall that border management responsibilities fall to the ministry led by Fernando Grande-Marlaska, but intelligence services depend on the Ministry of Defence.

This weekend, Marlaska already stated that Spanish intelligence services had not warned about what would happen on July 30th. "They had not prepared any report warning [about the crisis in Ceuta]," he said. In fact, the Minister of the Interior also stated that he believed a similar crisis would not happen again: "We have the instruments to prevent it." The Spanish government continues to point to mafias and the "interested interpretation" of the recent Supreme Court ruling on deportations. And, this Sunday, Morocco pointed in the same direction when it broke its silence with a late-night statement acknowledging the recovery of 11 bodies in its waters.

The Spanish government continues to point to mafias and the "interested interpretation" of the recent Supreme Court ruling on deportations. And, this Sunday, Morocco pointed in the same direction when it broke its silence with a late-night statement acknowledging the recovery of 11 bodies in its waters. This Monday will be the turn of the Spanish government and the opposition. At 9:30 a.m., the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, will be interviewed on La 1 to assess the latest events of the Ceuta crisis. For its part, the Popular Party will hold a press conference at 1:00 p.m. to set out its position on the events of the past few days.

The Ceuta migratory crisis continues to take its toll on the city despite the situation gradually normalizing. The cancellation of the local fair and the fear of going out have left beaches, restaurants, and shops much emptier than usual. In an interview with The Country, the president of the autonomous city, Juan Jesús Vivas, has not hesitated to criticize both the Kingdom of Morocco and the Spanish government for the crisis that has pushed the population of Ceuta to the limit. He accuses Morocco of having favored the border crisis and calls for firmness from the European Union: "It must be demanded that it respect the territorial integrity of Spain".

Vivas assures that the population experienced the crisis as an attack on national sovereignty, rather than a migratory crisis, and calls for the immediate expulsion of the migrants remaining in Ceuta "by El Tarajal", the border crossing. The president has not hesitated to be critical of the Spanish executive's response, reproaching it for having ignored previous warnings from the Ceuta government, and calls for the provision of "all necessary means so that this does not happen again". "We defend the equality of all Ceutans, whatever their religion and whatever their name. This model of society is non-negotiable", assures Vivas, who, with this statement, seeks to emphasize that Ceuta is an example of coexistence between religions and cultures, moving away from extremist discourse.