Report from Ceuta: 'Do you think they will send us back to Morocco?'

The Spanish enclave of Ceuta is slowly returning to calm after a surge of tens of thousands of people from Morocco, spurred by a coordinated social media campaign. Spanish police and military have repatriated over 90% of those who swam across the border. However, approximately 2,500 individuals, mostly lost, hungry, and exhausted children and teenagers from sub-Saharan African countries, remain stranded in Ceuta. Unlike Moroccan nationals, these migrants have nowhere to return.

Sixteen-year-old Sadi from the Moroccan border town of Fnidek recounted his harrowing journey. "I don't remember much, really. When I came out of the sea, I could barely recognize myself. Everything hurt. We were hitting each other, fighting for our lives," he said. Like many others interviewed, Sadi was motivated to head towards Ceuta, and thus Spain and the European Union, by a social media blitz.

Short videos and meticulously crafted fake news stories on platforms like TikTok and Instagram fueled a mass exodus, primarily of very young people. These online narratives created a false sense of opportunity, drawing vulnerable individuals into a perilous journey with uncertain outcomes. The situation highlights the powerful influence of social media in shaping migration patterns and the urgent need for addressing the root causes of such desperate movements.

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I don't remember much, really. When I came out of the sea, I could barely recognize myself. Everything hurt. We were hitting each other, fighting for our lives.