Migration researcher: Europe draws wrong conclusions from Ceuta migrant influx

The recent surge of migrants towards the Spanish enclave of Ceuta has sparked panic and misinformation across Europe, according to migration researcher Judith Kohlenberger. She argues that the political reaction, particularly from figures like Georgia Meloni, has been disproportionate and based on false narratives.

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The panic-mongering after the influx of migrants into Ceuta exacerbated a problem instead of solving it.

Kohlenberger criticizes the spread of fake news, including claims about migrants potentially moving to mainland Spain and the feasibility of suspending the Schengen Agreement. She also dismisses accusations of Spanish border control failure, highlighting the heavily fortified nature of Ceuta's border and the swift, effective response by the Guardia Civil. Most migrants were returned to Morocco within hours.

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There are approaches by which everyone could benefit from orderly migration.

Instead of succumbing to fear-mongering, Kohlenberger suggests that Europe should focus on managing migration effectively. She believes that well-ordered migration processes can create benefits for everyone involved, contrasting this approach with the current reactive and often misleading political discourse.

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Fake news dominated not only social media before the border storming of Ceuta. In the days that followed, incumbent politicians, especially Georgia Meloni, outdid each other in panic-mongering combined with fake news.