Disinformation did not spark Spain’s Ceuta crisis, says EU
The European Union has said they found no evidence suggesting that foreign disinformation had any hand in triggering mass migration into Ceuta, but confirmed that Russia amplified inaccurate reports online to exploit the crisis, reported the pro-Moroccan government Yabiladi on September 2nd.
The European External Action Service (EEAS) said it found no “conclusive evidence” pointing towards the influence of false information from “foreign state actors” on the mass influx of migrants into the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta in late July.
This comes after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez claimed on August 31st that the migration had been exploited online by the spread of disinformation from Israel and Russia. He also denied Rabat’s involvement in the mass crossing into the North African enclave, addressing rising public concern in mainland Spain and Ceuta alike about what triggered the crisis.
A spokesperson from the EEAS, talking with Europa Press, warned of the “significant disinformation activity” on social platforms which risks “fuelling divisions and increasing polarization”, saying: “In the case of Ceuta, we detected attempts by Russia to exploit the crisis online.”
They claim the EEAS regularly holds “assessments of the information environment” around significant political events or crises which may pose risks to the EU’s collective interests, sharing findings with the countries concerned.
Israeli politicians have previously posted anti-Spanish statements on social media, ridiculing Madrid’s response to the mass influx of migrants into Ceuta. Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir both commented on the crisis earlier in August.
Israel’s undermining of Spanish relations in North Africa comes after Spain has firmly condemned its actions in Gaza and previously refused to aid the US and Israel in conflicts with Iran.
On August 25th, Sánchez declared a national security concern over the Ceuta crisis 26 days after the initial influx. It was put in force to enable stronger governmental authority over the region as services and reception centres reached capacity, leaving many sleeping on the streets.
Sánchez has expressed that the issue can only be solved with co-operative effort from Rabat, but stressed that the relationship with Morocco on migration remains a positive one.
Yabiladi, Maghrebi.org
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