Spanish authorities are investigating reports that suspected jihadists may have been among the migrants who entered Ceuta during last week’s large-scale arrivals, according to Spanish media outlets. The reports by El Español and The Objective, citing sources familiar with the investigation, have not been officially confirmed by the Spanish government or security services.
According to the reports, Spain’s National Police and Civil Guard intelligence units analyzed surveillance footage from the border crossings and identified at least a dozen people who had previously been investigated, arrested, convicted and later deported to Morocco over alleged links to jihadist terrorism.
The reports emerged after tens of thousands of migrants entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta last week, triggering renewed concerns in Madrid over border security, possible hybrid threats and Morocco’s long-running claims over Ceuta and Melilla, Spain’s two autonomous cities in North Africa.
Spanish security experts have recently warned that the jihadist threat in the country has changed, with radicalization increasingly taking place through social media, messaging platforms and online propaganda rather than through traditional organized structures. They also highlighted the importance of intelligence cooperation between Spain and Morocco, particularly in monitoring individuals suspected of extremist links.
