The migrant crisis in Spain's Ceuta was triggered by a coordinated campaign and a deliberate spread of false information, according to the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN), as reported by TASS.
The organization said it was very likely a coordinated campaign about an open border, combined with the spreading of false interpretations of a change to Spain's migration law.
False claims spread online
GFCN said numerous social media groups with similar names appeared before the incident, though most have since been deleted. These groups spread a false interpretation of the new Spanish law, suggesting Spain could no longer deport anyone arriving in Ceuta by sea. In reality, the law only made pre-deportation screening procedures more complex. Messages claiming the border had opened followed soon after.
Mass border breach
On July 30, tens of thousands of migrants carried out a mass breach of the Spanish border in the autonomous city of Ceuta, arriving by both land and sea.
