Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain is continuing to investigate the causes of the sudden influx of migrants into Ceuta a month ago, while accusing what he described as an international far-right network of spreading misinformation about the crisis.
Speaking to Cadena SER radio, Sánchez said rumours and disinformation circulated widely following the events of 30 and 31 July, when more than 72,000 migrants and refugees entered the Spanish enclave from Morocco.
Claims of coordinated disinformation
"After 30 and 31 July, there was a spread of rumours and disinformation from social media accounts linked both to Russia and Israel, as well as to an international far-right network, which continues to use migration not only to attack Spain but also to attack and divide Europe," Sánchez said.
The Spanish leader said the investigation into the circumstances behind the sudden migration wave remains ongoing.
Rejects allegations against Morocco
Sánchez also rejected suggestions that Moroccan authorities were involved in the mass arrival of migrants.
"No intelligence service that normally cooperates with the Spanish government expresses the slightest doubt, or indeed any doubt at all, regarding the involvement of the Moroccan authorities in any way," he told Cadena SER.
Additional aid for Ceuta
The prime minister announced that Spain will allocate an additional €168 million to support the economy of Ceuta, Spain's North African enclave.
According to Sánchez, the package is equivalent to around 8% of Ceuta's GDP and is intended to strengthen the territory's economic resilience following the migration crisis.
