Serious tensions have erupted along the northern coast of Africa. Moroccan security forces were forced to use tear gas to disperse large groups of illegal migrants.
According to information from the Moroccan news portal Hespress, dozens of young Moroccans, mostly minors, tried to storm the border crossing “Beni Ansar“, leading directly to the Spanish enclave of Melilla.
The incident escalated quickly. Groups of young people began throwing stones at law enforcement officers and caused unrest in the Barrio Chino area. In response, the police have launched a massive tactical operation to restore order. The local Spanish authorities have temporarily closed the border crossing of “Beni Ansar“. For this reason, dozens of citizens have been stranded inside Melilla.
The scale of the humanitarian crisis in Ceuta
This clash is part of an unprecedented migratory pressure on Spain's borders in North Africa. In the neighboring enclave of Ceuta, the situation has reached critical levels:
- Mass influx: Between 50,000 and 60,000 people managed to cross the border in an extremely short time. This represents more than half of the enclave's entire population.
- Black statistics: The death of at least 57 people has been officially confirmed. They drowned or were fatally crushed while trying to get around the Tarajal breakwater.
- Madrid's reaction: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sent the army to Ceuta and declared the situation a “violation of the territorial integrity of Spain“.
- Current status: Thanks to an emergency agreement between Madrid and Rabat, over 48,000 migrants have already been deported or voluntarily returned to Morocco due to lack of food and shelter in Ceuta.
Social media algorithms as a weapon of trafficking
The crisis was artificially accelerated by a targeted digital campaign on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and X (Twitter):
- Open Door Illusion: For weeks, algorithms were flooded with short videos presenting the crossing into Ceuta as an “easily achievable challenge“. Channels published footage of young people celebrating on Spanish beaches, which created the false impression that the laws allow all those who arrived by sea to stay permanently.
- Tactical instructions: The channels shared satellite maps, diagrams of weak spots along the border, and specific instructions. Migrants were advised to organize themselves in groups of at least 7 people while swimming to make it more difficult for the coast guard to intercept them.
Fake news was further fueled by a July 2026 ruling by the Spanish Supreme Court that prohibited the immediate expulsion of people stopped at sea without a judicial process. Traffickers immediately interpreted this on the networks as a signal of free access to Europe.
Schengen under siege: International problems and diplomatic rift
The events in Ceuta and Melilla immediately escalated into an international conflict and caused a split within the European Union:
- Italy closed its borders to Spain: Giorgia Meloni's government took a radical step and announced temporary suspension of the Schengen Agreement on free air and sea travel with Spain. Rome has introduced selective controls for third-country nationals arriving from Spanish airports.
- A sharp reaction from Madrid: The Spanish Foreign Minister described Italy's actions as “unacceptable demagogy“ and officially summoned the Italian ambassador for an explanation. Germany and Finland have also criticized Spain for failing to protect the EU's external border.
- Domino effect in France: Paris announced tightening of controls on its land border with Spain, fearing internal migration to Central Europe.
- The geopolitical context with Morocco: Analysts point out that the initial inaction of the Moroccan border authorities is a conscious diplomatic signal from Rabat. Tensions between the two countries have risen after Madrid took steps to deepen relations with Algeria (Morocco's main regional rival) and approved a law granting Spanish citizenship to descendants of Sahrawis (inhabitants of Western Sahara).
The area of “Beni Ansar“ and the borders of Ceuta remain under increased military and police surveillance to prevent new organized waves of migrants.