More than 70,000 migrants rushed irregularly into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa from Morocco. The influx prompted a military deployment, caused dozens of deaths, and has spurred a strong political debate in Europe about immigration.
Tens of thousands of people scaled border fences, walked the land frontier,or swam around the Tarajal breakwater using flotation devices – a journey that takes up to four hours.
Reports say the massive border rush was fueled by misinformation online and through social media as well as a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling. The ruling stated that migrants caught at sea could not be immediately pushed back but was widely misunderstood by those posting about it on social media.
Videos and messaging groups online are said to have spread false claims that anyone who reached Ceuta by land or sea would be allowed to stay. They also falsely reported that an existing Spanish regularization program was ending on July 30. The Spanish military was deployed to assist border police. Border forces utilized water cannons and tear gas to deter additional crossings. By August 3, authorities reported that approximately 69,500 people had returned or been sent back to Morocco.
In response to the crisis, European leaders criticized Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni temporarily suspended the Schengen Agreement for arrivals from Spain and leaders from 22 European countries signed a joint letter accusing Spain’s policies of acting as a “pull factor” for illegal immigration.