Spain's Sanchez alleges Russia and Israel-linked networks spread Ceuta migrant disinformation
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has alleged that social networks linked to Russia and Israel spread disinformation about the migrant influx into Ceuta in July. He said the campaign was also amplified by far-right networks and was aimed at attacking Spain and dividing Europe. The comments were made on Monday in remarks cited from an interview with Cadena Ser radio.
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Sanchez said the rumours and false claims emerged after July 30 and 31, when there was a sudden increase in migrant arrivals into the Spanish North African exclave. He said he was citing research from the European External Action Service, the European Union's foreign policy body. According to his account, the alleged campaign was connected to criticism of the Spanish government over its positions on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The prime minister also rejected any suggestion that the Moroccan authorities were responsible for the influx. He said no intelligence service with which the Spanish government normally cooperates had raised doubts about Moroccan involvement. Spanish authorities have said the vast majority of the roughly 70,000 people who entered Ceuta have since been returned to Morocco.
The allegations place the Ceuta episode within a wider pattern of information disputes around migration, foreign policy and domestic politics. Ceuta, a Spanish territory on the North African coast, has long been a sensitive border point and a recurring focus of migration pressure. Claims of coordinated disinformation can carry political weight because they may shape public debate over border control, relations with neighbouring states and Spain's stance in wider international conflicts.
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The reference to the EEAS suggests the issue is being viewed through a European security and information-resilience lens as well as a national one. Sanchez's remarks also point to the way migration narratives can be used in broader geopolitical disputes, particularly when governments are already at odds over war, diplomacy and sanctions. The mention of far-right networks adds a domestic and transnational dimension to the alleged campaign, although the specific actors involved were not identified in the supplied material.
It remains unclear from the available information what evidence underpins the EEAS research, how the alleged networks were linked to the online activity, or whether any formal investigation is under way. It is also not clear what response, if any, has been made by the governments or groups implicated in the allegations. What to watch next is whether Spanish or EU officials publish further findings, and whether the claims lead to diplomatic friction or new scrutiny of online influence operations around migration.
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