The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, assured this Tuesday that the Spanish intelligence services did not warn at any time that something "similar" to the massive arrival of immigrants recorded in Ceuta on July 30 could occur, nor of a similar episode to that experienced during the migration crisis of 2021 in the autonomous city.
Grande-Marlaska made these statements at the press conference held at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior, after the extraordinary meeting held with his counterparts from the European Union to address the current migration crisis.
Questioned about the role of the National Intelligence Center (CNI) and after expressing his "confidence and recognition" towards the work of "all Spanish information services," the Interior Minister emphasized that "there was no report" nor "any warning" that anticipated that "nothing similar to what has happened could happen."
"But not nothing similar to what has happened, but nothing similar to what happened in 2021, when 10,000 people entered Ceuta irregularly," the minister specified, recalling the magnitude of that episode.
No prior reports or warnings to the highest authorities
Grande-Marlaska emphasized that "if there had been any possibility that something like this" could occur, some type of "report, communication, or warning" would have been prepared directed to the "highest authorities," and that information would have followed "much more complementary channels."
"Does anyone understand that if something was foreseen or someone foresaw, from the analysis of the information, that something similar to 2021 could happen, it would not have been made known through the broadest channels of the State Administration?" he posed.
In this line, he reiterated that "the information that existed is the one that has been noted and has been said by other members of the Government of Spain." As he explained, only the usual scenario of other summer periods was contemplated, with "an increase in irregular entries," which on this occasion could be driven by the Supreme Court ruling from early July that limits the application of the so-called hot returns to people who arrive by swimming to Spanish territory without overcoming any physical barrier.
Defense of the CNI and absence of reproaches
Asked directly whether he considers that the intelligence services made any "mistake" by not anticipating the massive influx of immigrants, the minister responded that he does not "censor anyone."
"There are issues that happen and we do not necessarily have to censor either the information services or anyone. I do not censor anyone and I recognize the relevant work for security that the intelligence services have developed, are developing, and will develop," he emphasized.
Without questioning the actions of any agency, Grande-Marlaska added that, had he been informed or had it been conveyed to him that a similar episode to that of 2021 could be repeated, "he would have obviously transmitted it" and would have proposed calling an urgent meeting to adopt the appropriate measures.
No prior alerts from other EU countries
"Let this not be understood as censorship, it is an assessment. These things, unfortunately, can happen, but let us also think that we are prepared to respond immediately to a crisis of that type. Many things happen and there does not necessarily have to be a responsibility," he insisted when questioned about whether someone should assume political or technical responsibilities.
At this point, he added that he also does not "know" that any other information service of the European Union had issued alerts about what could happen in Ceuta. "This could also have been anticipated by any other security department of another country in the European Union because the gathering of information in all networks does not only concern a specific country in the European Union, but the entire space," he pointed out, highlighting the European dimension of obtaining and analyzing security data.