After the influx of tens of thousands of migrants into the Spanish North African exclave of Ceuta, the government in Madrid is pushing back against accusations that it dismissed intelligence service CNI’s warnings of a mass arrival. Government circles said they had received no reports warning of a crisis of this magnitude.
Miguel Tellado, spokesman for the opposition conservative People’s Party (PP), expressed skepticism: it is hard to imagine that the CNI knew nothing about the impending “wave of people.” Radio station Cadena Ser also reported “multiple warnings.” Government spokeswoman Elma Saiz countered that no one had expected such an unprecedented event.
The exact number of arrivals remains unclear: regional president Juan Jesús Vivas spoke of 80,000, Madrid maintains 50,000, and Morocco cites 40,000. Authorities assume the number of victims will continue to rise – so far 72 bodies have been recovered, while the regional government speaks of at least 88.
The situation is particularly tense regarding unaccompanied minors: Ceuta is caring for at least 862 children and adolescents, although only 29 places are regularly available. The repatriation of the remaining migrants is ongoing, with the number still present estimated at 2,500 to 5,000.
Source: www.zdfheute.de
