In the days leading up to the recent significant influx of migrants to Europe, a brief video shared on Instagram gained 1.4 million views. The video depicts a young man partially submerged in water with a map outlining a sea route from Fnideq, Morocco, to Ceuta, a Spanish enclave. The video, along with other viral posts on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, seemingly played a role in mobilizing two waves of irregular migration from Morocco to Ceuta. The latest attempt on August 15 resulted in numerous arrests.
These online accounts are part of various digital communities that focus on migration-related content, including music, memes, and imagery. Some of these accounts exploit the aspirations of predominantly African and Middle Eastern youth seeking better opportunities abroad for potential profit.
There is a debate among governments and organizations regarding the orchestrator behind the events in Ceuta and whether migration was manipulated for geopolitical purposes. However, it is evident that misinformation spread by multiple online communities fueled the surge of migrants toward Ceuta this summer.
CBC’s visual investigations team, in collaboration with Sebastian Vandermeersch from Bellingcat, identified numerous social media accounts, particularly on Instagram, that were active before the initial wave on July 30. Misinformation suggesting that Spain would no longer reject seaborne migrants due to a court ruling sparked a surge in posts, leading to over 72,000 people crossing the border on that day.
Following the mass migration event, Meta and TikTok agreed to fact-check posts to prevent criminal organizations from exploiting migrants through misinformation. Despite these efforts, a subsequent wave of posts emerged ahead of August 15, promoting it as another opportunity for entry into Spain. The surge in social media activity persisted, with reports indicating hundreds of individuals attempting to reach the border on that day.
Moroccan and Spanish authorities took preemptive measures, deploying thousands of police to the border and arresting nearly 300 migrants. The government acknowledged the circulation of social media content encouraging the crossings and vowed to take action against those responsible.
The appeal of these messages online was fueled by the success of previous migrant arrivals in Ceuta, making it a popular entry point into Spain. The surge in social media activity amplified the perception that migration to Ceuta was achievable, especially for young individuals facing challenges such as high unemployment in their home countries.
The online content, often portraying migration in a positive light, resonated with many disillusioned youths in North Africa and beyond. Accounts promoting migration used aspirational imagery and language to attract followers, tapping into the desire for a better life abroad amid challenging circumstances.
These accounts often hinted at potential European destinations without explicitly offering passage, using emotional language and symbolic imagery to evoke a sense of hope and opportunity for their audience. Despite efforts to contact these accounts for clarification, CBC received no responses.
