Spain's Sanchez Blames Russia and Israel for the Ceuta Crisis

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has accused Russia, Israel and the international far-right of contributing to the recent migrant crisis in Ceuta, saying social media was used to spread rumors and disinformation that helped trigger the mass movement of people toward the Spanish enclave.

Sanchez said the disinformation campaign was particularly active on July 30 and 31 and involved claims linked to Russia and Israel. He also accused the international far-right of exploiting migration issues to attack Spain and create divisions within the European Union.

The Spanish prime minister's assessment was also reflected in an analysis by the European External Action Service, according to Reuters.

Sanchez was referring to misleading social media posts about a July 8 ruling by Spain's Supreme Court. According to the distorted version of the ruling, migrants who reached Ceuta by swimming could no longer be expelled to Morocco.

The Spanish government rejected suggestions that Moroccan authorities were behind the sudden migration surge. Sanchez said that none of the intelligence agencies with which Madrid normally cooperates had raised doubts about Morocco's role in the crisis.

He stressed that the situation must be addressed through cooperation with Rabat rather than suspicion. "We must realize that this crisis can only be resolved through cooperation, not through distrust of Morocco," Sanchez said.

Sanchez also highlighted the unusual complexity of the border separating Ceuta from Morocco. He said the borders of Ceuta and Spain's other North African exclave, Melilla, are among the most complicated in the world, while the differences in economic opportunities and per-capita income on the two sides are also particularly large.

The Spanish government is preparing an economic response for Ceuta. Sanchez said the cabinet would approve a 168 million euro plan to help revive the enclave's economy.

The migration surge occurred about a month ago, when roughly 70,000 people crossed from Morocco into Ceuta, either by swimming or overland. Many returned to Morocco within several days, but Sanchez said around 5,000 migrants remained in the enclave, including about 1,200 unaccompanied minors.

Local authorities have given a substantially higher estimate, saying as many as 10,000 migrants could still be in Ceuta.

The crisis has also resulted in a significant loss of life. Official figures from local authorities put the number of migrants who died during the migration offensive at at least 91. Moroccan non-governmental organizations have reported a higher toll, saying at least 141 people were killed and dozens more remain missing.

The competing figures underline the difficulty of establishing the full scale of the human cost of the migration surge, while Spanish authorities continue to focus on managing the remaining arrivals and addressing the economic and social pressure on Ceuta.