In the days leading up to the recent significant influx of migrants to Europe, a brief video shared on Instagram attracted 1.4 million views. The video depicted a young man partially submerged in water, followed by a view of land in the distance, with a map illustrating a sea route from Fnideq, Morocco, to Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa. The post’s account holder later asserted in responses to comments that they had successfully reached their destination.
This video was just one of many viral social media posts on platforms like Instagram and TikTok that seemed to play a role in organizing two waves of irregular migration from Morocco to Ceuta. The most recent attempt on August 15 resulted in multiple arrests.
These social media accounts are part of various online communities that focus on migration-related content such as music, memes, and images. Some of these accounts seem to exploit the aspirations of predominantly African and Middle Eastern youth seeking improved opportunities abroad.
There is a debate among governments and organizations regarding whether a single group orchestrated the events in Ceuta or if migration was manipulated for political purposes. However, it is evident that misinformation spread by multiple online communities fueled the migration waves toward Ceuta this summer.
The surge in social media activity was identified by CBC’s visual investigations team and Bellingcat, noting a proliferation of posts on Instagram before the initial wave on July 30. Misinformation suggesting that Spain would no longer turn away migrants arriving by sea due to a court ruling triggered a surge in posts, leading to over 72,000 individuals crossing the border on that date and causing a political crisis.
While many of the migrants who crossed in July have since returned to Morocco, around 5,000 remain in Ceuta, with some living on a beach with assistance from charities. Tragically, nearly 100 people lost their lives attempting the crossing.
The online mobilization for the migrations was marked by social media accounts directing followers to WhatsApp chats for planning crossings and offering guidance on how to reach Ceuta. Some posts highlighted specific locations for crossing, with one video indicating the “shortest distance” and garnering over 320,000 views.
After Meta and TikTok agreed to fact-check posts following the July 30 events, a new wave of posts emerged ahead of August 15, promoting it as another opportunity to enter Spain. Moroccan and Spanish authorities were prepared this time, deploying thousands of police officers and making numerous arrests.
The surge in online activity was also influenced by the success of previous migrants reaching Ceuta before the recent events. Ceuta had become a popular entry point into Spain, possibly due to increased controls on other migration routes.
While social media played a role in shaping the narrative, the underlying desire for migration was already present among many individuals in North Africa and beyond. Accounts promoting migration themes reflected the disillusionment and yearning for better prospects among young people, particularly in regions like North Africa where unemployment rates are high.
The accounts often referenced European destinations without explicitly offering passage, using aspirational images and language to appeal to individuals seeking opportunities abroad. Despite efforts to contact these accounts, responses were not received, underscoring the complexity of the issue surrounding the recent migrant movements.