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An estimated 60,000 to 70,000 migrants rushed from Morocco into the Sapnish exclave of Ceuta in a matter of days, fuelled by social media misinformation.
In an increasingly unstable global climate, border security breaches are becoming a norm. But we don’t hear about it until it becomes a complete humanitarian and diplomatic nightmare.
Such is the case for Europe’s two only exclaves on mainland Africa that have become a recurring source of border security breaches.
These exclaves Ceuta and Melilla are autonomous Spanish cities, located on Africa’s northern coast, and surrounded entirely by Morocco. The cities’ mere existence has remained a source of territorial dispute ever since Morocco gained independence.
Tensions have continued to resurface as recently as late July, where one of the most unprecedented border breaches unfolded in Ceuta fuelled by misinformation. Yet, as diplomacy often goes, despite the severity of the incident, accountability seems to be absent. Instead, global headlines are filled with endless finger-pointing.
The main trigger for the recent incident was a new ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court. For context, Spain has a legal mechanism called ‘rechazo en frontera’ that states the rights of authorities to immediately deport migrants. However, this mechanism can only be referenced for those who breach a physical containment structure to come into Spanish borders.
The purpose of the ruling was to clarify that the sea does not contain physical walls or fences, and therefore ‘rechazo en frontera’ cannot be legally exercised. As such, those who do make it to Spain by means of water, cannot be deported without due process.
This stipulation adds to Spain’s initiatives for the migrant community, with previous efforts including regularising existing undocumented migrants in the country.
The narrative was flipped, however, largely due to social media noise. Viral posts were circulated falsely suggesting that the court’s ruling gave migrants a right to remain in Spain if they entered by sea and be duly welcomed. Coupled with economic hardships in Morocco, many young Moroccans and some foreign nationals living in Morocco, had high hopes to access Europe for its opportunities.
However, vital information about Ceuta’s relationship with the Schengen Area happened to be lost in translation. Although it is a Spanish territory, anyone travelling from the exclave to mainland Spain needs to undergo border checks. This differs from the passport-free travel typically association with the Schengen Area.
Simply entering Ceuta does not guarantee unrestricted access to the Schengen Area. Yet, social media led many to falsely believe otherwise.
