Six warnings before the chaos in Sebta : Madrid had been warned
Spanish police officers and civil guards had warned Madrid several times before the mass influx toward Sebta. Reuters found six warnings addressed to the authorities in the weeks preceding 29 and 30 July.
Long before the crisis, the officers responsible for the border were already reporting an increase in crossings by sea and were concerned about the effects of a recent court decision.
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According to an investigation published by Reuters on 15 August, the unions of the Guardia Civil and the national police had sent numerous letters and warnings to the Spanish government and Sebta officials.
On 10 July, the AUGC called for clear instructions after a court decision made the immediate return of people arriving by sea more difficult. Three days later, the SUP police union called for more personnel and warned that smuggling networks could quickly adapt their methods.
A week before the crisis, a new warning
On 23 July, the SUP again wrote to the head of the Sebta police. It reported continuous arrivals by sea and believed that the available resources would not be sufficient to cope with a sudden increase in entries.
On 27 July, just two days before the beginning of the mass influx, the AUGC once again warned about the situation around the Tarajal and Benzú breakwaters.
On 29 and 30 July, the border descended into an unprecedented crisis, with tens of thousands of entries and numerous deaths.
Madrid nevertheless rejects the idea that there was no response. The Spanish Interior Ministry says it considered several measures after the court decision, while the government delegation in Sebta maintains that it remained in permanent contact with the police and the Guardia Civil.
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For the unions, however, the signals were clear enough. Two days after the crisis, the AUGC summed up its accusation by referring to «twelve years of ignored warnings».
