A wave of misinformation spread across social media platforms including Apnews and aol.com convinced thousands of people that Spain’s border with Morocco was opening up, triggering an unprecedented migration surge. The posts featured videos showing where to swim, tracking coast guard patrols on Facebook, and claiming that Europe was suddenly within reach.
Social Media Rumors Spark Massive Migrant Rush Toward Ceuta
Within hours, young people packed buses, regional trains, and taxis heading toward the neighboring Moroccan city of Fnideq. By the time authorities reacted, an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 people had reached the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa in just a few days, representing the largest migration surge between Morocco and Spain in years.
Deadly Chaos at the Border Breakwater
As migrants reached the shores of Ceuta, mass chaos erupted at a narrow concrete breakwater where many attempted to climb onto land. According to multiple migrants, people rushed to scramble over slick rocks simultaneously, pushing and climbing over one another. Several witnesses reported seeing people knocked back into the water and forced beneath others, leaving them unable to resurface.
I stepped on the face of a dead man while I was climbing out. I hope God forgives me and all those whose bodies were found,
said Lahcen Kalouch, a Moroccan migrant who reached Ceuta before returning home distraught.
The death toll reached at least 72 people on the Spanish side of the border, with officials reporting that some victims drowned while others were killed in a stampede or crushed while trying to climb the breakwater and border fence. An additional 11 people died on the Moroccan side, mostly by drowning, according to Morocco’s Interior Ministry. The Spanish government representative in Ceuta, Miguel Angel Perez, stated that more than 1,000 people had been treated by health services.
Personal Accounts and the Journey From Across Morocco
Many individuals were drawn by specific online claims. In Larache, about 93 miles from Ceuta, three friends—Anas Amrani, Yahya Harak, and Ismail Atik—watched a video posted by an Instagram account named Haraga Ceuta that claimed the border would be open. The term “haraga” refers in Moroccan dialect to young migrants who destroy identification papers and attempt illegal crossings into Europe.
For those attempting the crossing, the most common route began in Fnideq, where many tried the roughly 3-mile swim around the border breakwater, while others departed from the nearby village of Belyounech.
Despite the high aspirations fueled by online falsehoods, the reality upon arrival was stark. Nearly all of the surviving migrants soon returned to Morocco, either after being expelled or leaving voluntarily due to a lack of shelter, food, and water in Ceuta. Spanish authorities reported that more than 48,000 returned to Morocco within 48 hours, and more departed over the weekend.
Official Response and Government Blame
Governments on both sides of the border pointed to digital manipulation as the catalyst for the crisis. Morocco’s Interior Ministry blamed the exploitation of the digital sphere,
human trafficking networks, the spread of misinformation, and the misinterpretation of a Spanish ruling banning immediate returns of migrants intercepted at sea. The Spanish Foreign Ministry made similar statements.
Moroccan authorities stated that 40,000 people were involved in the crossing and noted that 1,135 individuals were stopped from entering Melilla, another Spanish enclave. Meanwhile, Ceuta officials stated they had warned the Spanish government of an impending surge in arrivals prior to the mass crush.
