Ceuta Migration Crisis: Pedro Sánchez Accuses Russia, Israel of Spreading ‘Fake News’

CEUTA: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has pointed to Russia, Israel, and an international far-right movement as sources of misleading information spread on social media during the migration crisis in Ceuta. In an interview with broadcaster Cadena SER, Sánchez said these actors use migration issues to target not just Spain but all of Europe. However, he clarified that state actors are not necessarily behind the current situation, and investigations into the crisis’s root causes are ongoing.
According to Sánchez, a Spanish Supreme Court ruling was misrepresented online, with false claims circulating that anyone who swims into Ceuta cannot be deported — a claim he said is untrue but was widely spread on social media.
Spanish government estimates show around 72,000 people entered Ceuta illegally from Morocco on July 30-31, a surge so large that the number of arrivals briefly approached Ceuta’s total population. The crisis drew sharp criticism from other European governments, with 22 EU member states signing a joint open letter describing Spain’s relatively open migration policies as a “pull factor” for migrants.