Police Tell Judge Moroccan Officers Guided Mass Entry Into Ceuta

Spanish police have informed a judge that the mass entry of migrants into Ceuta was guided by Moroccan gendarmes acting under the direction of plainclothes agents, according to a police report.

Ceuta is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa, bordering Morocco, and has previously seen large, sudden crossings of migrants.

The report reportedly states that the gendarmes, who belong to Morocco's security forces, directed the movement of people during the incident.

Police also told the judge that plainclothes agents, who do not wear official uniforms and are therefore less easily identified, gave orders to the gendarmes on the ground.

According to the police findings, the operation appears to have had a purpose that went beyond ordinary migration, which normally involves people seeking to move and settle in another country.

Investigators are reportedly examining the possibility that the mass crossing was part of a broader operation coordinated on the Moroccan side, rather than a spontaneous movement of migrants.

The judge overseeing the case is expected to assess the police report as part of the ongoing judicial investigation into the events in Ceuta.

Spanish authorities have not disclosed further specifics about what the alleged distinct purpose of the operation might have been.

The case adds to a history of tension between Spain and Morocco over border control and migration flows into Ceuta and the nearby city of Melilla.

Further details are expected to emerge as the judicial investigation continues, though no additional information has been made public at this stage.