Rabat – Swiss-Italian journalist and essayist Stefano Piazza dedicated a new YouTube video to the recent Ceuta mass crossing, stating that a coordinated digital campaign linked to Algerian phone numbers helped fuel the large migration crisis on the Spanish-Moroccan border.
In a five-minute video posted on Thursday, Piazza recalled the tensions between Morocco and Algeria, stating that it is “important to closely analyze” the role of Algiers and its hostile maneuvers aimed at destabilizing Rabat.
“We have seen it on many, many occasions, and this could simply be yet another attempt at destabilization,” he said.
He also recalled a report by a Spanish intelligence expert that shed light on the role of social media and campaigns linked to telephone numbers with Algerian country codes.
“You know that Algeria and Morocco have had serious problems for a long time because of Algeria’s support for the Polisario Front terrorist group and many other so-called dirty operations that the Algerians have carried out over the past years,” Piazza explained.
The recent Ceuta mass migration crisis refers to one of the largest migration crises to hit the Morocco-Spain border in recent years.
Tens of thousands of migrants attempted to cross, or successfully entered, the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on July 30, marking one of the peak days after repeated crossing attempts throughout the month.
Spain estimates the number at over 70,000, while Moroccan authorities said official assessments show 40,000 headed to Ceuta and over 1,000 headed to Melilla.
The overwhelming situation put immense pressure on both Moroccan and Spanish border authorities, triggering a political storm in Spain and renewed criticism of migration management between the two neighboring countries.
Report links Ceuta crossings to misinformation
A new report by Spanish fact-checking outlet Maldita.es has highlighted the role social media played in spreading misleading interpretations of the Spanish Supreme Court’s July 8 ruling on the so-called “hot returns” of migrants.
The investigation analyzed more than 1,100 Arabic-language Facebook posts published between July 8 and July 31, finding that a misleading message claiming migrants who reached Ceuta by swimming would no longer face immediate returns was shared more than 215 times on July 30 alone, while omitting the formal return procedure required under the court’s decision.
The report also noted that Spanish authorities considered the possibility that human trafficking networks exploited the widespread circulation of the ruling to encourage migrants to attempt the crossing.
The findings align with Morocco’s response to the crisis amid criticism and political attacks from Spain’s far right, which accused Rabat of facilitating the mass migration to pressure Madrid.
Moroccan authorities have consistently rejected those allegations, stressing that social media misinformation and trafficking networks exploited the Spanish court ruling to lure young people toward irregular migration.
Spain has also repeatedly thanked Morocco for its extensive cooperation throughout the crisis, emphasizing Rabat’s essential role in managing irregular migration and maintaining border security.
