Ceuta migrant surge reports declassified by Spain

Spain's government on Tuesday declassified intelligence reports about July's migrant surge into Ceuta, saying it would release around 40 documents as questions persisted over what Madrid knew beforehand and Morocco's possible role.

More than 70,000 migrants entered Spain's small North African territory from neighbouring Morocco on July 30 and 31. The Spanish government has maintained that it received no prior warning of the scale of the incident and says there is no solid proof that Morocco planned it.

Government spokeswoman Elma Saiz said the documents would be made public on Wednesday. She said the decision was part of the government's commitment to transparency, but did not preview the contents.

A Spanish police report leaked last week described what it called “total permissiveness” by Moroccan security forces during the rush, saying their numbers at the Ceuta border were lower than usual and that some actively facilitated crossings.

Spain's top criminal court opened an investigation on Monday and largely based its ruling on the report, saying there was “undeniable facilitation” from Morocco. The conservative and far-right opposition have criticised the government over its handling of the crisis, accusing it of ignoring warnings and of being subservient to Morocco.

Most of the migrants who entered Ceuta have returned to Morocco, but thousands have remained in difficult living conditions. Angel Victor Torres, the minister responsible for relations with Spain's regions, said 3,400 reception places had been set up and that the aim was to reach 6,000 places in the coming days.

The government has sought to speed up returns, but must first identify remaining migrants and decide whether they are entitled to asylum. Thousands of unaccompanied children cannot be summarily deported and require special protection.