Europe31 August, 20262 min read
Pedro Sánchez Says Russia and Israel Spread Ceuta Migrant Crisis Disinformation
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Sánchez cites EEAS findings that Russia and Israel spread disinformation about Ceuta influx. Morocco is expressly exonerated as involved in the Ceuta migrant surge.
56 outlets told this the same way.
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Ceuta Disinformation Claims
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Monday that Russia and Israel spread and amplified disinformation tied to the mass influx of migrants into Ceuta, citing research by the European External Action Service (EEAS). Sánchez told Spain’s Cadena Ser radio that “After July 30 and 31, rumours and disinformation spread on social networks linked to Russia and Israel,” and he added that the activity was also linked to “an ultra-right international that always uses migration to attack both Spain and Europe and divide it.”
He said it was “evident” that the two countries used the crisis to criticize the Spanish government because Madrid is at odds with Moscow over Ukraine and with Israel over the Middle East. Sánchez also ruled out responsibility by Moroccan authorities, saying “No intelligence service with which the Spanish government normally cooperates” had suggested “any … involvement in one way or another of the Moroccan authorities.”
CNI Warnings and Investigation
Sánchez said Spain is continuing to investigate what caused the crisis and argued that the government has to act on “data, on certain facts,” while he linked the hoaxes to social networks and far-right messaging. He confirmed that the National Intelligence Center (CNI) shared situation reports before the massive entry on July 30 and 31, but he said “there was no information that shared the magnitude of the crisis we were going to suffer,” according to Euronews.
In the same interview, Sánchez said “We are continuing to investigate” what happened, and he described a Supreme Court ruling that was “distorted” and then spread through social networks and exploited by criminal organizations, Euronews reported. Euronews also said Sánchez rejected a contradiction between versions offered by Defense Minister Margarita Robles and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, differentiating between having information about prior movements and anticipating the surge’s magnitude.
Aid, Numbers, and Stakes
Sánchez said Spain would provide additional aid for Ceuta, promising “an additional 168 million euros ($195m) in aid for Ceuta to respond to the crisis,” as reported by Al Jazeera. He also said that 6,000 spaces at reception centers would soon be available in Ceuta for migrants, whose status must be verified by Spanish authorities before any possible return to Morocco, according to Asharq Al-Awsat English.
Al Jazeera reported that residents of Ceuta, with an area of 18sq km and a population of 80,000, held regular demonstrations over what they said were security and hygiene problems linked to the migrant influx, while Spain’s left-wing government said between 3,500 and 7,000 migrants remain and Ceuta’s right-wing politicians allege it is at least 10,000. Euronews framed the political stakes around the government’s handling of the crisis, noting Sánchez’s claim that the hoaxes were used as an instrument to attack Spain and create divisions within Europe, while he insisted Morocco’s involvement was ruled out.