For several days, a court ruling began to be interpreted online as an open invitation. New accounts and pages claimed that Spain had “opened the way” for everyone arriving by sea and that returns were no longer possible. Smuggling networks from Morocco, Africa, and Algeria joined the campaign through three main channels.
Details of the social media campaign
Personal accounts created in early June posted daily calls for people to cross the border to Ceuta by sea, directing followers to WhatsApp groups that organized collective trips and reported on conditions for young people in Ceuta. A page called “Hagra sueta 26”, which had about 38,000 followers on Facebook and 80,000 on Instagram, displayed photos and videos of successful swimmers.
Local groups on Facebook, including “haraga maroc”, which has 12,000 members and has the phrase “migration to Spain” in its description, urged people to gather and head to Ceuta, and also shared practical information about routes. Social media content seen by Al Jazeera promised a “dream”: work or marriage in Spain or other European countries. A number of accounts urged followers to travel in groups, some indicated meeting points and departure locations in Morocco, while others posted success stories, urging those who wanted to safely cross to Ceuta to contact them directly.
Growth of the movement and reaction
For the most part, these channels did not appear to have specific, organized connections with each other. However, by coming together, they turned into a mass movement of people. After that, a wave of activity began: sellers advertised swimming and diving equipment, as well as inflatable boats, while users posted recommendations for the best departure points along the Moroccan coast, citing their own interpretation of the ruling.
Then groups of young people began to appear near the gates of Ceuta. Platforms spread news about these gatherings, the number of people grew, and the activity reached its peak during the mass border crossing on July 28 and in the following days. The Spanish newspaper La Razon, citing an intelligence report, reported that accounts and groups on social media in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, France, and the United States spread “mobilization messages”, information about logistics and routes to Ceuta, as well as advice on overcoming the sea barrier in Tarajal.
Source: Al Jazeera
