"Border to Open on Public Holiday" Frenzy...Spain Erects Barrier in Response to Fake News

Floating Barrier Installed as Police and Military Forces Massively Deployed

Spanish authorities are on high alert as false provocative claims are circulating online, alleging that the border of Ceuta, a Spanish territory, has been opened.

Security personnel in Morocco are guarding the coastal border adjacent to Spanish Ceuta after a large number of migrants crossed into Ceuta, Spanish territory, by land and sea from Morocco. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On August 15 (local time), British daily The Times and other media outlets reported that the Spanish government has deployed approximately 1,600 police officers, including riot control forces, 2,000 soldiers, and 20 civil servants dedicated to handling illegal migrant expulsion procedures to Ceuta. A floating barrier approximately 500 meters long has been installed in the sea to prevent migrants from swimming across the border. Morocco has also deployed about 3,000 police officers to block routes leading to Ceuta.

Previously, on July 30, nearly 80,000 migrants illegally crossed the border within just a few hours in Ceuta, the Spanish enclave in North Africa that borders Morocco. Although most were deported or returned on their own, posts inciting unauthorized border crossings by designating the 15th as the 'D-day' have been spreading online.

The provocative posts include claims such as, "The Spanish government will temporarily open the border checkpoint from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on the public holiday of the 15th," and "Anyone who enters Ceuta will be granted asylum."

Recently, false provocative posts claiming that the Spanish border will open on August 15th have been spreading through social networking services (SNS). Screenshot from RFI

August 15 is the Feast of the Assumption, observed as a public holiday not only in Spain but in most European countries. Authorities believe that the rumor about "guaranteed asylum grants" is a distortion of a Spanish court ruling stating that "migrants entering by sea cannot be immediately deported."

Spain operates a "border rejection policy" that allows for the immediate expulsion of illegal migrants who cross the border by land. However, the Supreme Court has ruled that this policy does not apply to migrants intercepted while entering by sea. In such cases, a decision on deportation must be made following the prescribed legal procedures, such as filing for asylum. After the ruling, the number of Moroccans swimming across the sea began to rise gradually this month, culminating in a mass crossing incident at the end of last month.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated, "Human trafficking mafias have interpreted the Supreme Court ruling to suit their own interests," adding, "It spread like wildfire in just a few hours."

The Spanish border guard posted a warning on social media (SNS) in French and Spanish, stating, "The Spanish border is not open and will not open in the future. A new barrier has been installed; those who cross it will be returned. Do not be deceived by lies." Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares also warned, "Do not risk your life for an adventure that is bound to fail," stressing that none of the migrants who entered Ceuta last month have moved to mainland Spain or any other European region.

On the 7th (local time), young immigrant youth were sleeping in a park in Ceuta. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

The European Union (EU) has pointed out that both the recent spread of false incitement posts and the mass crossing incident late last month were majorly fueled by provocations and disinformation circulating on SNS, urging platforms such as Meta and TikTok to intensify measures against fake news.

Spanish information analysis company Golden Owl reported that Moroccans are sharing border-crossing itineraries and routes via Facebook groups and WhatsApp channels, and that advertisements offer to take people to mainland Spain for a fee of 1,600 euros (about 2.63 million won).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.