The National Court has formally asked the Guardia Civil whether it received advance warnings about the mass attempted entry from Morocco into Ceuta on July 30 and 31. More than 70,000 people were involved, with the movement concentrated around the Tarajal breakwater and taking place by land and sea. Spain’s Interior Ministry estimated about 72,000 entries, while the National Police’s Centre for Immigration and Border Coordination (CENIF) used a preliminary range of 75,000 to 85,000. Those figures reflect the uncertainty of the initial count.
The inquiry followed a complaint by the political party Iustitia Europa, which called for an investigation into alleged crimes against state security, aide of illegal immigration, human trafficking, criminal organization and failure to pursue criminal acts. A basic question is whether Spanish authorities had prior indications or alerts that could have helped them prepare at the border, and what operational response followed. The investigation is examining whether the episode involved organized coordination and whether agencies had enough advance information to consider extraordinary measures.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has maintained that the National Intelligence Centre (CNI) did not issue a specific warning of a mass arrival in Ceuta. He has acknowledged general notices about a possible seasonal rise in irregular maritime entries. The reported chronology includes a sharp increase in attempts to enter by swimming from July 12, following the Supreme Court’s July 8 ruling concerning the immediate return of migrants who enter irregularly. The CNI reportedly monitored online reactions to the ruling and contacted CENIF. The unit circulated a risk assessment on July 29, the day before the basic surge. The CNI dossier also described online calls for a mass assault by land and sea as abnormal in their projected scale.
Judge María Tardón, of Basic Court of Instruction No. 3 of the National Court, has sought detailed information about the crisis’s most critical days, July 30 and 31. The court is examining rescue operations in Spanish territorial waters, the identification and circumstances of people recovered from the water, fatalities, assistance to minors, and the personnel and resources deployed. The article’s reported tally is 77 deaths, including 20 bodies recovered on the first day and around 40 more the next. The deceased are being held in a refrigerated hangar at the old military hospital in Ceuta while authorities work with Morocco to identify them.
The court is also reconstructing how information moved between agencies before and during the surge. Information from the reported chronology, the CNI activated a crisis cell on July 30 to centralize information and coordinate with security forces and Ceuta authorities. It exchanged information with the Guardia Civil about the entries, conditions in Morocco and four bodies recovered from the water during the preceding weekend. Tardón has also requested reports from the Ministry of Defence on Moroccan naval activity, including whether Moroccan vessels entered Spanish territorial waters, and intelligence and security reporting from July 15 to August 7. The requests include material prepared by the Armed Forces’ Intelligence Centre (CIFAS).
Earlier, the judge requested a report from the National Police on whether the mass entry was a coordinated action by a criminal group. The court is seeking to determine whether it has jurisdiction to pursue the alleged crimes cited by Iustitia Europa, which is also involved in other high-profile cases. The investigation’s immediate focus is to establish what each administration knew before the influx, what decisions it made and what response it deployed. It has not resolved criminal liability.
The CNI reportedly assessed that Moroccan authorities knew in advance that a mass movement toward Ceuta was being prepared for July 30 and 31, and were aware of widely engaged social-media calls linked to Morocco’s Throne Day. That reported assessment concerns prior knowledge and alleged passivity; it is not evidence that Rabat organized the operation. The court is examining the roles of Moroccan and Spanish authorities alongside intelligence flows and maritime activity.
The investigation has also considered contingency measures, including installing maritime buoys and opening the Temporary Reception Centre (CATE). Reports citing the CNI material say the government was considering both options two days before July 30. Grande-Marlaska’s position that the CNI did not issue a specific mass-arrival alert sits alongside these reported assessments and the July 29 CENIF report. Whether those developments amounted to an actionable warning remains a basic question for the court.
The Ceuta crisis has drawn national and international attention, and local officials have called for emergency measures and a unified response. As previously reported, the president of Ceuta demanded a national emergency declaration as arrivals surged, highlighting pressure on local resources and the need for coordinated action.
Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the North African coast, has long been a focal point for migration from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa. The surge has raised questions about border management, intelligence sharing and the legal structure governing migrant returns. The Supreme Court’s July decision on immediate returns of people who enter by swimming formed part of the context monitored by Spanish agencies. The National Court’s investigation may have impressive implications for Spain’s migration policy and border-force protocols.
