Digital Discrimination Against Moroccans Surges After Ceuta Crossing

A wave of digital discrimination targeting Moroccans has emerged following the mass crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, according to a report by the Prometheus Institute for Democracy and Human Rights and the Civil Council for the Fight Against All Forms of Discrimination.

The organizations monitored over 1,245 posts, videos, and comments across platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube between July 29 and 31, 2026. Their analysis, conducted in Spanish, Italian, French, Arabic, and English, identified a significant increase in discriminatory and xenophobic content. This content not only discussed public policies but also targeted individuals based on their nationality or origin through generalizations, stereotypes, and dehumanizing statements.

The report highlighted a sexual dimension to some of the discriminatory discourse, with women and girls featured in crossing videos subjected to comments about their appearance, attire, or supposed morals. The Civil Council noted that these messages reflect gender stereotypes and, combined with their social media presence, constitute potential forms of intersectional discrimination and gender-based digital violence.

Both organizations stressed the need to respect the dignity and privacy of those involved, urging against the republication of their images or videos, which could lead to defamation, stigmatization, harassment, or other forms of digital violence. They emphasized the particular need to protect women and girls. The monitoring team expressed concern that the discriminatory rhetoric observed after these events could extend beyond those who attempted to cross, potentially fueling rejection, stigmatization, and discrimination against Moroccan nationals in various European countries.