Sánchez Accuses Russia And Israel Of Fuelling Ceuta Migrant Crisis With Disinformation

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has accused Russia and Israel of spreading disinformation that helped trigger the largest migrant surge in the history of Ceuta, Spain's North African enclave, while explicitly clearing Morocco of any role in orchestrating the crisis.

A Border Overwhelmed in Two Days
The crisis unfolded on July 30 and 31, when more than 72,000 migrants irregularly crossed from Morocco into Ceuta, one of only two land borders the European Union shares with Africa.

The scale was unprecedented, and the human cost severe: local authorities in Ceuta reported at least 100 deaths in the attempted crossing.

Spanish and Moroccan officials have attributed the surge to human trafficking networks that exploited public confusion over a change in Spain's border policy, with videos on Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms spreading false claims that migrants reaching Ceuta by sea would be allowed to remain in Spain.

Sánchez Points to Moscow and Tel Aviv
In his first interview since the crisis, Sánchez told Spanish radio network Cadena SER that "after July 30th and 31st, there was an expansion of these hoaxes and this disinformation by social networks associated with both Russia and Israel, and with an international far-right movement that always uses migration, not only to attack Spain, but also to attack Europe and divide it".

He said the claim was based on research from the European Union's diplomatic arm, the European External Action Service (EEAS), though he did not disclose further evidentiary detail, and the EEAS did not immediately respond to press inquiries seeking confirmation. Sánchez argued the motive was political retaliation, saying it was "evident" that both governments were reacting to Madrid's positions on "the genocide in Gaza and Putin's invasion of Ukraine".

Spain has been among Ukraine's most consistent European backers since 2022 and Sánchez has positioned himself as one of the continent's sharpest critics of Israel's conduct in Gaza.

Crucially, Sánchez used the same interview to reject a competing domestic narrative, dismissing opposition and rights-group claims that Rabat had deliberately allowed the mass crossing. "When people talk and speculate about the participation of Moroccan authorities, I deny this outright," he said, describing Spain's migration cooperation with Morocco as "frankly very positive" and arguing the crisis "can only be resolved through cooperation".

Sharp Denials from Jerusalem and Moscow
Both accused governments rejected the claim outright. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar called Sánchez's statement a "brazen lie" on X, adding that "continuing to spread defamatory lies will not distract from Sánchez's disgraceful failure to manage his country's affairs" [4]. The Kremlin was similarly dismissive, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov telling Russian state broadcaster RBC that Moscow had no involvement.

Tensions between Madrid and Jerusalem were already elevated before the Ceuta crisis: Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon had criticised Spain's handling of the border emergency as early as July 30, writing that Spain, which "never misses an opportunity to lecture Israel," had declared a state of emergency in Ceuta over its own migration failures.

The Situation on the Ground
Sánchez's government says between 3,500 and 7,000 migrants, including unaccompanied minors, remain in the tiny 18-square-kilometre territory, whose resident population is roughly 80,000 [6]. Ceuta residents have staged repeated protests over what they describe as deteriorating security and hygiene conditions linked to the influx.

Madrid has pledged €168 million ($195 million) in aid to the enclave, while Sánchez has called for European solidarity in managing the fallout, saying investigations into the disinformation campaign are ongoing.

Mustapha Bature Sallama
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,

International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding. ( USIP)

[email protected]
+233555275880