Spain's national intelligence agency issued a warning about possible "mass entries" by migrants into Ceuta a day before more than 70,000 migrants stormed the border fences of the enclave in North Africa, according to documents declassified on Wednesday.

The Spanish government declassified a trove of more than 40 documents, including internal alerts, intelligence reports, charts and communications from multiple law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

One urgent memo sent by the National Intelligence Center to authorities in Ceuta on the day before the incident warned of "several calls to carry out entries into Ceuta."

"There are two different groups with a total of 180,000 followers," the declassified memo read, “just to give you an idea of its scale."

CENIF, a border division of the National Police, also published a warning about the social media groups a day before the incident.

"Internal communications have been detected in migrant groups in which they are trying to organize mass entries on the night of 29/07/2026," a document from CENIF read.

Sanchez downplays level of warning

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the documents prove his government had not been warned of the magnitude of the crisis that was about to unfold.

He said the National Intelligence Center only alerted authorities in Ceuta and not the military or Ministry of Defense.

"This is understandable because, with the information available at the time, no one could have foreseen the migration crisis that unfolded on the 30th and 31st," Sanchez said on social media. "No competent body did so. Neither in Spain nor in the EU." 

EU to fund Ceuta border enhancements

The European Union (EU) on Wednesday announced that it would grant Spain some €115 million ($130 million) in emergency financial aid to help bolster the bloc's external borders and return thousands of individuals who overwhelmed authorities in the country's North African exclave Ceuta in late July.

Spain initially requested the funding on August 24.

Brussels said the funds would help finance "measures to enhance border surveillance, border protection and security-related infrastructure" such as thermal cameras, floating buoy systems and underwater drones: "It will also serve to set up facilities for the screening of migrants, as well as to support returns of those who remain illegally in Ceuta."

"The situation in Ceuta has put pressure on our external borders," said European Commission Vice President Henna Virkkunen. "Our message remains clear: We are committed to combating illegal migration and ensuring the swift return of those who remain illegally in Ceuta."

What happened in Ceuta?

On July 30 and 31, images of migrants storming the borders of the exclave sent shockwaves across the EU and beyond as more than 72,000 individuals crossed into Spanish territory from Morocco.

Scores of migrants died in their attempt to reach EU territory, most by drowning.

Although most of those who breached Ceuta's borders have been returned, thousands remain, many of them unaccompanied minors living in dire conditions.

The incident caused a major rift among EU member states, most publicly between Spain's left-wing government and Italy's far-right leadership.

Although Sanchez has said that there is "no solid proof" that Morocco was to blame for the incident, Madrid's top criminal court on Monday opened an investigation into whether African authorities had facilitated the illegal rush.

Edited by: Sean Sinico

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