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Runaway online rumours spur 72,000 migrants to Ceuta border
Associated Press reported the surge was sparked by Instagram and TikTok posts that claimed Spain’s Morocco border would be open, and more than 80 people died during the rush.
Rumours spread on social media that Spain’s border with Morocco would suddenly be open helped trigger one of the biggest migration surges between the two countries in years, an account tied to an Associated Press story says.
Within days of posts on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, thousands of people moved toward the Spanish territory of Ceuta, with packed buses, regional trains, and taxis arriving in Morocco’s nearby city of Fnideq. By the time authorities responded, about 72,000 people had reached Ceuta, according to authorities cited in the report.
The report says more than 80 migrants died on both sides of the border, including deaths from drowning and from a stampede, with the remaining survivors largely returning soon after.
In northern Morocco, the story describes residents who said they watched a video posted by an Instagram account called Haraga Ceuta claiming the border would be open, suggesting the online campaign quickly translated into real world movement.