{"id":65747,"date":"2026-08-04T15:29:41","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T15:29:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/65747\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T15:29:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T15:29:41","slug":"runaway-online-rumors-sparked-frantic-rush-by-migrants-to-ceuta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/65747\/","title":{"rendered":"Runaway online rumors sparked frantic rush by migrants to Ceuta"},"content":{"rendered":"

FNIDEQ, Morocco (AP) \u2014 It started with Instagram posts that suggested Spain\u2019s border with Morocco<\/a> was opening up. Then came Facebook users tracking coast guard patrols and TikTok videos showing where to swim.<\/p>\n

After many shares and comments, thousands of Moroccans became convinced that Europe was suddenly within reach<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Within hours, young people began heading toward the border<\/a> with the Spanish territory of Ceuta in North Africa. Packed buses rolled into the neighboring Moroccan city of Fnideq. Regional trains filled up. Taxis did too.<\/p>\n

By the time authorities reacted, some 72,000 people had reached Ceuta in just a few days, the largest migration surge between Morocco and Spain in years. More than 80 migrants died on both sides of the border, including some who drowned and others who were killed in a stampede, authorities said.<\/p>\n

Nearly all of the surviving migrants soon returned<\/a>, but the fallout from last week\u2019s events<\/a> will linger.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

People breach barbed wires as they attempt to cross from the Moroccan northern town of Fnideq to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Friday, July 31, 2026. (AP Photo)<\/p>\n

People breach barbed wires as they attempt to cross from the Moroccan northern town of Fnideq to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Friday, July 31, 2026. (AP Photo)<\/p>\n

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Rumors started online<\/p>\n

In the northern Moroccan city of Larache, about 93 miles (150 kilometers) from Ceuta, three friends watched a video posted by an Instagram account called Haraga Ceuta claiming the border would be open. Haraga refers in Moroccan dialect to young migrants who destroy their identification papers and try crossing illegally into Europe.<\/p>\n

The post convinced Anas Amrani, Yahya Harak and Ismail Atik that it was worth risking the journey.<\/p>\n

For migrants hoping to reach Spanish territory, the most common route begins in Fnideq, where many attempt the roughly 3-mile (5-kilometer) swim around the border breakwater. Others leave from the nearby village of Belyounech.<\/p>\n

One TikTok video mapped the exact route swimmers should follow.<\/p>\n

On Facebook groups such as Fnideq Bab Sebta, users shared screenshots from vessel-tracking platforms to identify moments when coast guard patrols appeared lighter. Some sought advice on using inflatable boats. Others advertised wetsuits for sale.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw online that the border was open, and I decided to go,\u201d said 17-year-old Omar Danbor from Fnideq, walking back exhausted along the coast.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear who was behind the claims that the border was open or who operated many of the social media accounts, several of which were deleted soon after the crossings. The Associated Press contacted several accounts but received no response.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

\"Migrants<\/p>\n

Migrants return to Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Friday, July 31, 2026. (AP Photo\/Antonio Sempere)<\/p>\n

Migrants return to Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Friday, July 31, 2026. (AP Photo\/Antonio Sempere)<\/p>\n

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The surge to Ceuta touched a political nerve in Europe, and the European Union is investigating what happened. The EU\u2019s migration commissioner expressed concern Tuesday about online disinformation but didn\u2019t identify a specific culprit.<\/p>\n

Chaos unfolded at the breakwater<\/p>\n

As migrants reached the shores of Ceuta, mass chaos erupted at a narrow concrete breakwater where many tried to climb onto land.<\/p>\n

According to multiple migrants interviewed by AP, people rushed to scramble over the slick rocks at the same time, pushing and climbing over one another. Several said they saw people knocked back into the water and forced beneath others, leaving them unable to resurface as migrants sought to reach land.<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d said Lahcen Kalouch, a Moroccan migrant who reached Ceuta before returning home distraught.<\/p>\n

At least 72 people died on the Spanish side of the border. Another 11 died on the Moroccan side.<\/p>\n

Tens of thousands of migrants have since returned to Morocco, either after being expelled or leaving by choice because of a lack of shelter, food and water in Ceuta.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A Ceuta resident sits at a bus station as migrants who crossed into Spain are escorted by Spanish soldiers toward the Spanish-Moroccan border, for their return to Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)<\/p>\n

A Ceuta resident sits at a bus station as migrants who crossed into Spain are escorted by Spanish soldiers toward the Spanish-Moroccan border, for their return to Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)<\/p>\n

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Some misinterpreted Spain\u2019s new migration measures<\/p>\n

Some migrants misunderstood recent legal developments in Spain, including Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez\u2019s immigration regularization measures<\/a> and a court ruling limiting authorities\u2019 ability to immediately return migrants who swim into Ceuta.<\/p>\n

S\u00e1nchez\u2019s recent efforts to regularize migration were meant only for people already living in Spain prior to Jan. 1, the majority of whom hail from Latin America and entered Spain legally but overstayed their visas. But some in Morocco misinterpreted his policy, believing they would be allowed to stay. That belief spread online.<\/p>\n

\u201cPedro S\u00e1nchez is a liar. He told us if we came, we would get jobs and papers, but they sent us back,\u201d said Adam Assil, a migrant from Casablanca, even though S\u00e1nchez never made such a promise.<\/p>\n

While attempts to reach Ceuta are common, migration activists said this episode was different because of the way rumors snowballed online, encouraging thousands of people to head toward the territory at the same time instead of in smaller, scattered groups.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Spanish<\/p>\n

Spanish army soldiers block access to the beach for people crossing from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Friday, July 31, 2026. (AP Photo\/Antonio Sempere)<\/p>\n

Spanish army soldiers block access to the beach for people crossing from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Friday, July 31, 2026. (AP Photo\/Antonio Sempere)<\/p>\n

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Failures happened on both sides of the border<\/p>\n

Moroccan authorities said the migration wave was not spontaneous. The Interior Ministry blamed the \u201cexploitation of the digital sphere\u201d and \u201cthe spread of misinformation.\u201d Officials offered no evidence but said an investigation had been opened. Spain\u2019s government made similar statements.<\/p>\n

Ceuta officials said they had warned the Spanish government of a surge in arrivals before the massive crush on Thursday. The Spanish Interior Ministry said Monday that it had not received \u201cany report or warning regarding the mass arrival of people in Ceuta,\u201d and it praised cooperation with the Moroccan authorities in sending most of the migrants back.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody addressed how these individuals managed to breach the border,\u201d said Mustapha Azaitraoui, a Moroccan geographer specializing in migration dynamics. \u201cIf a large group of people can cross the border under these circumstances, it suggests a broader security issue that has yet to be acknowledged publicly.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Migrants<\/p>\n

Migrants rest outside the Temporary Center for Immigrants (CETI) after crossing from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Friday, July 31, 2026. CETI is the Spanish acronym for the migrant reception center. (AP Photo\/Antonio Sempere)<\/p>\n

Migrants rest outside the Temporary Center for Immigrants (CETI) after crossing from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Friday, July 31, 2026. CETI is the Spanish acronym for the migrant reception center. (AP Photo\/Antonio Sempere)<\/p>\n

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Migrants reject government claims of smuggling<\/p>\n

Both Morocco and Spain blamed the Ceuta crisis on human smugglers and trafficking networks, saying organized criminal groups encouraged the mass crossings.<\/p>\n

But returning Moroccan migrants interviewed by AP largely rejected that explanation.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one smuggled me there. I wanted to go of my own free will, but that country is not worth all this sacrifice,\u201d Kalouch said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are no mafias. The border was open, and I crossed. But now I regret it,\u201d said Danbor, his clothes still wet after making the journey back.<\/p>\n

The Spanish Interior Ministry said investigations into smuggling networks are ongoing and noted that Spain and Morocco have carried out joint operations against trafficking groups. The Moroccan Interior Ministry did not respond to questions about smuggling networks.<\/p>\n

Several politicians and experts have suggested it would be impossible for so many to cross without Moroccan complicity. A high-ranking Moroccan diplomat appeared to push back against that.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be reductive to say that Morocco should have used force to stop the migrants,\u201d said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the issue is highly sensitive in Morocco. \u201cWe are not Europe\u2019s police.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lack of jobs is a key factor<\/p>\n

Morocco\u2019s economy is projected to grow by 4.5% this year, boasting major factories, advanced ports and ambitions to become a regional hub for the car industry.<\/p>\n

Yet for many young Moroccans, that transformation has not translated into stable work. Youth unemployment remains high, with 37% of people ages 15 to 24 out of work. Among university graduates, unemployment stands at nearly 20%. The dream of migration is often reinforced by stories of relatives who left and returned with cars, new clothes and foreign currency.<\/p>\n

One of those who breached the border was a 16-year-old who grew up a few dozen miles from Ceuta. Europe had always seemed a dream close enough to see, yet impossibly far.<\/p>\n

So when he saw a post on Facebook suggesting the border was open and thousands were making it across, he joined the rush.<\/p>\n

Days later, he was back in Morocco, crying as he asked strangers for money for a taxi home.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey fired tear gas at me and beat me with batons. There\u2019s nothing for me there,\u201d said the teen, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of being stigmatized following his failed border crossing attempt.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just wanted to provide for my mom,\u201d he said, wiping his tears.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Associated Press journalists Bernat Armangue in Ceuta, Spain; Joseph Wilson and Renata Brito in Barcelona, Spain; Houda Benalla in Rabat, Morocco; and Sam McNeil in Brussels contributed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FNIDEQ, Morocco (AP) \u2014 It started with Instagram posts that suggested Spain\u2019s border with Morocco was opening up.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":65748,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[26347,6211,26343,26349,333,20265,1220,826,9776,26345,14516,203,2264,25149,26348,26346,205,24,17,913,394,26344],"class_list":["post-65747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-spain","tag-adam-assil","tag-africa","tag-anas-amrani","tag-ap-fact-check","tag-european-union","tag-fact-checking","tag-general-news","tag-immigration","tag-inc","tag-ismail-atik","tag-meta-platforms","tag-migration","tag-morocco","tag-morocco-government","tag-mustapha-azaitraoui","tag-omar-danbor","tag-pedro-sanchez","tag-politics","tag-spain","tag-spain-government","tag-world-news","tag-yahya-harak"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65747"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65747\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65748"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}