In the days leading up to a significant influx of migrants to Europe, a brief video shared on Instagram gained 1.4 million views. The video showed a young man partially submerged in water with a map indicating a sea route from Fnideq, Morocco, to Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa. The post suggested a successful arrival in Ceuta.
The video was just one of many viral posts on platforms like Instagram and TikTok that appeared to have influenced multiple waves of irregular migration from Morocco to Ceuta. The most recent attempt on August 15 resulted in numerous arrests.
Various online communities focused on migration-related content, including music and memes, contributed to the spread of misinformation and potentially profited from the aspirations of African and Middle Eastern youth seeking better opportunities abroad.
While there is uncertainty about a single orchestrator behind the events in Ceuta, it is evident that misinformation, propagated by several online communities, played a significant role in driving the migration surges towards Ceuta this summer.
CBC’s visual investigations team, in collaboration with Sebastian Vandermeersch from the investigative collective Bellingcat, identified several social media accounts, particularly on Instagram, that were active prior to the initial wave on July 30. Misinformation suggesting that Spain would no longer reject migrants arriving by sea triggered a surge in posts, resulting in over 72,000 people crossing the border on that day.
Although most of those who crossed in July have returned to Morocco, around 5,000 individuals remain in Ceuta, with some living on a beach with assistance from charities. Tragically, nearly 100 people lost their lives attempting the crossing.
The surge in social media activity over the past month, as tracked by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, underscores how misinformation and manipulation can have tangible consequences when targeted at vulnerable populations seeking solutions.
The second wave of posts ahead of August 15 indicated another opportunity for entry into Spain, with messages suggesting clarity on that day. Reports from Morocco indicated a significant number of individuals heading towards the border on August 15, prompting both Moroccan and Spanish authorities to take preventive measures.
The online traction was also fueled by successful crossings into Ceuta preceding the recent events, making it seem achievable to potential migrants. The Mixed Migration Centre noted a rise in entries through Ceuta this year, possibly due to stricter controls on alternative migration paths.
While social media played a role in shaping perceptions around migration, the underlying desire to migrate existed independently. The allure of migration was heightened by accounts reflecting disillusionment and desperation among young people, particularly in North Africa, who saw migration as a means to a better life.
Various social media accounts directed followers to WhatsApp groups for planning crossings and shared information on reaching Ceuta, with some even offering advice for a fee. Despite efforts to fact-check posts by Meta and TikTok, new waves of social media activity emerged ahead of August 15, signaling another attempt at mass migration towards Ceuta.
