Rabat – A new report has documented hundreds of misleading interpretations of the July 8 Spanish Supreme Court ruling circulating across Moroccan social media weeks ahead of and during the mass crossings into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on July 30, one of the largest migration crises that struck the Moroccan-Spanish borders.
Hundreds of misleading interpretations of the Spanish ruling swept Moroccan social media, as claims suggested migrants who reached the Spanish enclave by swimming would no longer face immediate returns.
The investigation by Spanish fact-checking outlet Maldita.es shows that over 1,100 Arabic-language Facebook posts discussed the ruling between July 8-31.
A message claiming there would be “no immediate expulsion” for migrants arriving by sea was repeatedly shared while also omitting the legal return procedure required under the court’s decision.
The online debate intensified dramatically on July 30, which marked the mass irregular migration to the enclave. Spanish authorities estimated the number of those who crossed to the region at 70,000, while Morocco’s Interior Ministry said the enclave witnessed 40,000 entries.
Nearly 60% of all analyzed posts were published within hours of the mass crossing, the report said, which further highlights the role social media have played in the mass crossing to Ceuta.
The report comes amid claims and anti-Moroccan rhetoric, especially from far-right politicians, who are now launching a fierce campaign and imagining conspiracies that Morocco was behind this to allegedly pressure Spain.
Some parties went so far as to either urge Spain to withdraw from the 2030 FIFA World Cup or ask Madrid to exclude Rabat from co-hosting the global tournament.
The new investigation echoes aspects of Morocco’s government response, as Rabat has consistently reiterated its commitment to continue cooperating and boosting its efforts to tackle irregular migration amid far-right politicians’ claims and the anti-Morocco campaign targeting the country.
Morocco has pointed out how social media misinformation and campaigns exploited by human traffickers have exacerbated the situation, and used the July 8 court ruling as a reference to spread misinformation that lured youth to join the Ceuta mass crossings.
A Moroccan government source has responded to criticism and Morocco-bashing campaigns, stressing that managing irregular migration is a shared responsibility and that Morocco is not a “policeman” or “concierge” for Europe.
The source also commented on the ruling, emphasizing that Rabat cannot bear the consequences of a court decision that dismantles a system tackling irregular migration.
Maldita said the misleading message was shared more than 215 times on July 30, the same day Ceuta witnessed a surge in entries or attempts.
The message was shared by both ordinary users with few followers as well as high-profile accounts with thousands of followers, with the news outlet citing one particular journalist, who has 1.3 million Facebook followers. The source, however, stated that his original post has since been deleted, but the same message was reposted several times within minutes.
Clearing confusion on the ruling
The ruling did specify and emphasize that this legislation is against hot returns, but did not say migrants who swim into the enclave can enter mainland Spain or stay in the disputed region.
Instead, the ruling said Spain must use a different legal procedure. Before the ruling, if a migrant swam into Ceuta and was caught, Spanish police immediately handed the person back, often within minutes or hours, with no formal administrative procedure.
Now, after the ruling, if a migrant swims into Ceuta, police cannot immediately hand the person back, as authorities must open a formal return procedure, which allows the deportation of the individual but through the legal procedure required by Spain’s immigration law.
The court emphasized that police cannot use the hot return regime for people who enter by swimming because they did not cross a physical border barrier, including fences.
The court stressed that authorities must use Article 58.3 of the Immigration Law to identify the migrant, issue an administrative return order, allow access to a lawyer and interpreter, and allow the person to request asylum or protection.
The person is subject to the return procedure within 72 hours if their application is refused.
Spain often rejects asylum applications for irregular migrants, as Morocco is in the safe-country category.
The ruling became confusing, as many social media posts only said the court says migrants who swim to Ceuta cannot be immediately expelled, with people interpreting the decision as meaning that if migrants swim to the region, they can stay.
Earlier this week, the Spanish embassy in Morocco issued another clarification, stressing that the ruling does not grant the right to remain in the country to those who enter the enclave or Spain irregularly.
“Moreover, it poses a serious risk to life. No court ruling changes this reality,” the embassy said, adding that the Supreme Court ruling “clarifies the procedures applicable to migrants arriving by sea—nothing more.”
It emphasized that the ruling does not amend the Immigration Law, stating that almost everyone who crossed the border has already been returned to Morocco.
Upon the unprecedented mass migration, Morocco and Spain announced their agreement on the immediate return of the individuals who entered the enclave.
Morocco also reaffirmed its willingness to cooperate at all stages of the crisis, with the Spanish government lauding Rabat’s essential role in curbing the mass migration.
