Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the Partido Popular, accused the government of concealing advance warnings about the mass crossing into Ceuta. Citing a confidential police report, he blamed Morocco for organizing the July 30 border breach and called for immediate diplomatic action.
Speaking in Ceuta alongside local president Juan Jesús Vivas, Feijóo said security services issued repeated alerts on each of three consecutive days, July 27 through 29, but the government ignored them. He argued that the operation, in which about 70,000 people tried to enter the city, was not spontaneous migration but a coordinated move allowed by Moroccan authorities. Spanish media reported official estimates that around 72,000 people crossed the border on July 30 and 31, while several thousand remained in Ceuta in early August.
The Spanish government has announced plans to extend the breakwaters at Tarajal and Bensu. It also plans permanent maritime and aerial surveillance, including drones, to reinforce the Ceuta border.
The controversy intensified after a National Police report cited by El Español appeared in court proceedings. The document reportedly describes Moroccan agents directing the mass crossing, contradicting the government’s claim that it had no prior knowledge. Feijóo used the report to accuse the government of lying to the public and failing in its duty, while voicing support for the police and intelligence services. The Interior Ministry rejected his account, saying intelligence services had issued no advance warnings about the scale of the crisis. Minister Grande-Marlaska has repeated that position in recent press statements.
Feijóo called for the Moroccan ambassador in Madrid to be summoned to explain the incident and the Spanish ambassador in Rabat to be recalled for consultations. He outlined no further steps, saying the party would respond based on Morocco’s explanations. This marks a shift from earlier PP positions, which criticized Morocco’s awareness of the events but stopped short of direct accusations. Feijóo now openly accuses Morocco of having "coordinated and permitted" the mass crossing, as several national outlets have reported.
The government faces growing pressure as the opposition uses the police report to fuel public anger. Feijóo accused Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska of putting political interests ahead of national security. He also cited a letter from Marlaska to the police director asking when the force first received intelligence about Moroccan involvement.
The crisis has drawn judicial and parliamentary scrutiny. Feijóo has called for an emergency session of the parliamentary secrets committee, while the Partido Popular plans to join the ongoing National Court case concerning the Ceuta events, Spanish press reports say.
Calls for a tougher stance toward Morocco have grown, with Vox urging suspension of the bilateral Treaty of Friendship and withdrawal of Spain’s ambassador. The PP had resisted such measures, but Feijóo’s latest statements point to a more confrontational approach. The revelations come just before nationwide rallies for Ceuta Day. Feijóo predicted large protests and argued that the government cannot protect Spain’s borders.
The dispute centers on the credibility of Spain’s security services and the government’s willingness to address its relationship with Morocco. The PP’s strategy is to spotlight the government’s discomfort and cast itself as the defender of national sovereignty, amplifying the sense of crisis. The lack of detail about the proposed diplomatic response leaves open how far the opposition is willing to go beyond criticism.
Spain’s border with Morocco has long been a source of tension over migration and diplomacy. Ceuta and Melilla, Spanish enclaves in North Africa, often face mass crossings that strain relations. The current standoff exposes weaknesses in Spain’s border management and the risks of unclear decision-making at the top. As the PP raises the stakes, the government’s next steps will determine whether the crisis changes Spain’s approach to border security and its relationship with Morocco.
