Spanish Intelligence Warns of New Wave of Illegal Immigrants to Ceuta

The Spanish National Intelligence Centre (CNI) warned the country’s Interior Ministry about an imminent new wave of migrant arrivals, but the ministry chose to ignore it, according to a Spanish government source. The source told Cadena SER radio on Monday that the Interior Ministry received numerous warnings from the CNI. While the intelligence service did not know the exact timing of the attempted border crossing, it had warned of the risk. The Interior Ministry failed to follow up on the warning and is now attempting to shift the blame onto the CNI, the radio station reported, citing sources. Earlier on Friday, Ceuta Mayor Juan Jesus Vivas stated that around 60,000 people had entered Ceuta illegally, noting the city’s population currently stands at approximately 85,000. A source remarked that these people would not have entered Spain if the Interior Ministry had taken steps to prevent it. Several sources within the Interior Ministry confirmed they had observed an increase in migrant flows since mid-July and had informed the minister accordingly. A government source told the radio station that security on the border with Ceuta had been tightened, but did not specify the measures taken.