Moroccan Authorities Allegedly Facilitated Migrant Influx into Ceuta
In a significant development concerning the migration crisis at the autonomous city of Ceuta, Lieutenant Colonel Miguel Lobo of the Civil Guard confirmed to Judge María Tardón that Moroccan authorities actively participated in the entry of over 70,000 migrants on July 30. Reports indicate that Salvamento Marítimo, the maritime rescue service, alerted the Civil Guard regarding Moroccan vessels allegedly throwing migrants into the sea. According to Lobo, there were communications between Salvamento and the Civil Guard's Operational Services Center (COS) regarding these alarming incidents.
Initially, Salvamento Marítimo suspected that Moroccan ships were rescuing migrants who had jumped into the water. However, as the rescue vessel approached, sources from the service reported that Moroccan authorities began to throw migrants overboard for them to be picked up. During his testimony, Lobo noted that gendarmes were guiding migrants from the beach at Castillejos, Morocco, towards the breakwater to facilitate their maritime crossing to Ceuta. He stated, "The Moroccan military was merely directing them into the water. There were Moroccan authorities giving orders," emphasizing the organized nature of the operation.
The detailed information provided by this news outlet outlines internal communications from Salvamento Marítimo, which Lobo corroborated during the judicial proceedings. The first report came at 5:38 AM on July 30, where the rescue team reported rescuing twelve individuals, including a woman, and expressed concern about the situation. They requested contact with the COS in Ceuta, as it appeared that the Moroccan patrol boat was not only failing to assist but actively throwing those on board into the water for the rescuers to retrieve. Subsequently, a count aboard the vessel confirmed a total of 22 individuals rescued.
The following report at 5:47 AM indicated the rescue of eight additional migrants, resulting in a final count of 28 men and two women. The Salvamento vessel confirmed witnessing the Moroccan patrol throwing people into the water to facilitate their crossing, as reiterated by the rescuers. Following these observations, they promptly notified the COS, which Lobo’s testimony confirmed.
Moreover, Lobo mentioned that the night before the incident, he was alerted by Salvamento about the presence of up to six Moroccan military vessels, a situation that surprised him and prompted him to notify the Government Delegation. This was also corroborated by Lorenzo Juan Fages, head of the provincial citizen security brigade of the National Police, who was present to testify on the matter. Lobo described the behavior of the Moroccan gendarmes as passive, stating, "The military in Morocco were standing idle. They directed people towards the breakwater from the beach," which again pointed to Rabat as the intellectual author behind these actions.
Discrepancies in Response Tactics
On the morning of July 30, Lobo acted autonomously as he had not received any directives from the Government Delegation on how to handle the unfolding crisis. He decided to open the border gate after a discussion with Fages, reasoning that a physical blockade could lead to a dangerous crush of individuals. He explained that the gate is usually open, but it had been closed for a few minutes before being reopened due to the imminent risk of fatalities from the mass arrival of people. Lobo asserted that controlling the gate fell under his jurisdiction. However, Fages believed that closing the gate was the better option, arguing that had there been a physical barrier, the responsibility would have shifted to Morocco to manage the influx. Fages characterized the mass arrival as an "invasion" during his testimony before the judge.
Compounding the situation, the National Police also reported that they did not receive orders from their superiors and noted witnessing Moroccan gendarmes directing the crowd from their side of the border. These testimonies place the actions of the Moroccan Government under scrutiny as they suggest a deliberate orchestration of the mass migrant arrival, a primary focus of Judge Tardón's ongoing investigation.
As reported by articulo14.es.
