Spanish services on alert as radicals may hide among Ceuta migrants

Spanish security services are on "maximum alert" following the migrant crisis in Ceuta last week, with concerns that radicals may be among the approximately 2,000 individuals still hiding in the autonomous city. Most migrants have been returned to Morocco, but authorities believe those remaining have a different profile.

According to Spanish security sources, the individuals still in Ceuta may include criminals and those exhibiting signs of possible Islamist radicalization. This information reportedly comes from joint operations with Moroccan services. A significant concern for officers is the unknown whereabouts of these migrants, leading to fears of potential terrorist attacks, although no concrete evidence of specific plans has been presented.

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The greatest problem is the fact that we do not know where exactly these migrants are.

The priority for Spanish services is to locate these individuals and return them to Morocco. However, police do not rule out the possibility that some may attempt to reach the Iberian Peninsula by sea via the Strait of Gibraltar. Officers note that it is relatively easy to remain unnoticed in the densely built-up Ceuta and the surrounding hills.

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The situation is under control and praised cooperation with the authorities of Morocco in the repatriation of migrants.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has assured that there was no risk of migrants who entered Ceuta massing further into the EU. He conveyed during a video conference with other EU interior ministers that the situation is under control and praised cooperation with Moroccan authorities. However, some police officers express doubts, suggesting that those hiding in Ceuta are unlikely to return voluntarily.

Officers also believe that radicalized individuals might be present, particularly in the El Príncipe neighborhood and the hills surrounding the migrant center (CETI). Police representatives criticized the authorities' initial response during the crisis, stating that insufficient forces at the El Tarajal border crossing negatively impacted the services' image. Anonymous officers suggested that even if stopping tens of thousands of people was impossible, a greater presence could have mitigated the situation.

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Even if it was impossible to stop tens of thousands of people, a greater presence...