Social media fueled Ceuta migration crisis, sparking political debate

Social media platforms are implicated in the recent large-scale irregular migration into Ceuta, with messages circulating on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook allegedly calling for illegal entry and even "burning" the city. Morocco attributes responsibility for the border incident to these social networks, although the precise origins and instigators of the viral campaigns remain under scrutiny.

Young migrants have increasingly turned to social media for information, with profiles offering practical advice on reaching Ceuta or Melilla illegally. These posts reportedly detail routes, suggest where to buy essential items like flotation devices or waterproof bags for phones, and even provide Google Maps directions to Ceuta's Tarajal beach, along with strategies for evading police and remaining in Spain.

It is debatable whether the surge in social media messages was spontaneous. However, their rapid propagation is undeniable. Questions linger about who fueled these viral campaigns and whether bots were involved in a coordinated strategy by Morocco. Unlike a similar incident in September 2024, when Moroccan security forces detained 60 people for organizing a border-crossing operation on social media, authorities did not appear to act with the same urgency this time.

Journalist Anne Applebaum noted that while the reasons for the mass migration remain unclear, it was not a viable path to Europe, as many migrants have died or been returned home. The situation has been exploited by the far-right, with Vox leader Santiago Abascal's delayed arrival in Ceuta and his party's rhetoric contrasting sharply with the humanitarian crisis. Abascal himself had been declared persona non grata in Ceuta in 2021 following previous border disturbances.

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We don't know why so many Moroccans swam to Ceuta. We do know that it was not a real path to Europe, that many migrants have died, that almost all have returned home, and that the extreme right has instrumentalized it.