Migrants received false information via social media before Ceuta escalation

Social media played a significant role in mobilizing thousands of migrants, mostly young Moroccans, to attempt crossings into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Groups on platforms like Facebook, with thousands of members, shared tips, videos, and screenshots for the journey, using search terms such as "border open" or "Ceuta without papers."

Many migrants were apparently misled by false information, including videos potentially generated by artificial intelligence. One widely shared video, though real, depicted a Moroccan border guard opening a gate to Ceuta; however, it dated back to May 2021. These migrants swam across the border, believing they could then travel legally to mainland Spain.

Spanish authorities have since returned nearly 50,000 of the estimated 60,000 migrants who entered Ceuta. Many of the returned youths told journalists they were motivated by videos of successful crossings seen on platforms like Instagram. The exact origin of this online mobilization remains unclear, with questions about coordinated networks and the role of bots.

Morocco's Interior Ministry acknowledged the influx, attributing it to "several interlocking factors," including "malicious manipulation of the digital space, the spread of misinformation, the role of smuggling networks, and the misinterpretation of legal and administrative information." Most of the social media groups promoting the journey have since been deleted.