Clarification on the Ceuta Border Incident
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior has officially refuted claims regarding the border incident from Ceuta, which President Pedro Sánchez previously described as an "attack on Spain's sovereignty" on July 31. The Ministry emphasized that the report sent to Judge María Tardón by the National Police does not explicitly state that the Moroccan Security Forces planned or executed the surge of migrants that saw approximately 80,000 individuals arriving in Ceuta, pushing the city to the brink of collapse. This clarification comes in the wake of a meeting between Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska and National Police Director Francisco Pardo.
Following their urgent meeting, the Ministry released a statement asserting that while the report does indicate that ununiformed Moroccan gendarmes and agents directed the crowds towards the border, it does not imply an institutional involvement of the Moroccan Security Forces in orchestrating the incident. The report's content had previously been misinterpreted, leading to significant political discourse around the event.
Government's Stance and Judicial Proceedings
This meeting was convened after the government had consistently reiterated for weeks that Morocco did not orchestrate the "assault" on the border, a term used by the president himself, who even suggested involvement from entities like "Russia," "Israel," or vague "mafias." However, the government was taken aback when it learned that its own police had submitted a report to Judge Tardón, who was overseeing the events that unfolded on July 30, contradicting this narrative.
Minister Marlaska and Director Pardo's meeting took place mid-morning, and the first action from the Interior Ministry was to clarify that the document does not directly attribute the surge to Morocco, though it does mention agents of the Moroccan state, even providing images of them guiding the masses. Furthermore, the Ministry stated that Judge Tardón had requested strict confidentiality from the police unit that prepared the report, in line with legal requirements for absolute discretion when police are tasked with judicial matters. Consequently, the Interior Ministry had not been informed of the details being presented to the magistrate.
Lastly, the Ministry denied that the report from the General Commissariat for Foreign Affairs dated July 29, just a day before the incident, highlighted the scale of the impending situation. According to the ministry's note, the General Director of the Police explained that it was merely a frequent risk alert that did not reference any possibility of a mass entry the following day. Media outlets, including EL MUNDO, had reported during that period that conditions were deteriorating at El Tarajal.
As reported by elmundo.es.
