Spanish security sources allege a Moroccan Royal Navy vessel put about 30 migrants back into the sea off Ceuta as a Spanish rescue ship approached on 30 July. The reported episode unfolded during a day of intense pressure on the city.
At dawn on 30 July, a Spanish Maritime Rescue vessel saw migrants swimming in deep water off Ceuta while Moroccan Royal Navy boats operated nearby. Sources in Spain’s State Security Forces say a Moroccan vessel put around 30 people into the sea as the Spanish boat came close.
One source with direct knowledge said Moroccan personnel had first picked the migrants up from the water to keep them from drowning. The account alleges they were then dropped back into the sea so the Spanish crew would take them aboard. A second source put the number at around 30 and said at least one Moroccan naval vessel was involved. The possibility of another ship has not been corroborated.
The Spanish vessel rescued the migrants. Maritime Rescue told the newspaper that its crew acted to protect human life at sea. According to the report, the Spanish boat had to take those it rescued to the Spanish coast and could not return them to Morocco. Some migrants may therefore have jumped voluntarily in the hope of being picked up by a Spanish-flagged vessel.
The rescue crew contacted the Guardia Civil’s Operations Centre (COS) in Algeciras as the incident unfolded. Confidential sources told Artículo14 that the call was recorded. That record could be evidence, though the report does not establish whether it has been added to the court file.
El País reported that Moroccan military vessels entered Spanish waters during security arrangements for Throne Day, when King Mohamed VI was near the coast. Spanish security sources told Artículo14 that similar episodes had occurred when the king was in the area, though they had not previously become public. The Government described the latest presence as a one-off.
The incident took place on the first day of the major migration surge, when around 1,000 people were trying to reach Ceuta by sea. Many swam along the breakwater; others chose deeper water to avoid the congestion. The crush caused several drownings, according to the source report.
María Tardón, the National Court judge overseeing the investigation into the influx, could examine the reported events as part of her ongoing inquiries. There is currently no public indication that they have been included in the case.
Separately, sources in Ceuta told the newspaper that a group of newly arrived migrants went to a military installation and tried to climb its perimeter wall. Some local residents saw this as a search for shelter; other sources suggested the group may have been testing the security response. That interpretation remains unconfirmed.
