Spain accuses Russia of fueling migration crisis in Ceuta
Photo: migrants in Ceuta, Spain (Getty Images)
The mass influx of migrants into Ceuta in late July may have been triggered by disinformation spread through Russian-linked social media. Israeli media and an international far-right organization also allegedly played a role, according to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s statement in an interview with Cadena SER.
Sanchez accuses Russia
According to Sanchez, the fake reports were based on a distortion of an August 8 ruling by Spain's Supreme Court. Specifically, false information was spread claiming that migrants who reached Ceuta could not be deported.
Sanchez said the reports were circulated on social media linked to:
- Russia,
- Israel,
- An international far-right organization that has consistently used migration issues not only to attack Spain but also Europe.
He stressed that an investigation into the causes of the crisis is ongoing. Therefore, he cannot claim that a specific state is behind it.
"Unfortunately, we do not have a complete picture of what happened, and we are continuing the investigation, but the government must act based on reliable facts," Sanchez said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar rejected Sanchez's accusations and instead accused him of lying.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov briefly responded that Russia was allegedly not involved in the migration crisis in Ceuta.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that on August 19, around 60 migrants reached mainland Spain. The incident took place in the province of Murcia.
It was also reported that hundreds of migrants in Ceuta staged a protest on the city beach, demanding asylum in Spain.
In addition, the migration crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta sharply escalated in late July. Around 60,000 people entered the city within a day, nearly two-thirds of its usual population.
