What’s behind US Representative Massie’s claims over crisis at Ceuta?
Figures like Representative Thomas Massie have questioned whether crisis is related to US support for Morocco.
Misleading social media posts may have sparked a surge in migrant crossings into Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa. Tens of thousands tried to cross from Morocco in late July, leading to a humanitarian crisis with dozens reportedly dying or killed. European, Spanish, and Moroccan authorities blamed incorrect information on social media and human traffickers for the sudden influx.
A Spanish Supreme Court ruling on migrant returns, issued earlier, was a focal point of these misleading claims. The court decided that migrants arriving by sea could not be subject to the same fast-track deportation as those crossing physical borders. However, the ruling does not grant migrants the right to stay in Spain and allows authorities to implement sea barriers.
Many posts on social media misrepresented the ruling, suggesting migrants would be allowed to stay. The Supreme Court's ruling applied only to sea arrivals not crossing barriers; for others, immediate returns remained possible. The surge in crossings led to a political dispute between Spain and Morocco, with Spanish officials accusing Morocco of exploiting the situation and failing to prevent the arrivals.
Moroccan authorities denied these claims, attributing the crossings to misleading social media information.
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