Spain’s Sánchez Says Russian and Israeli-Linked Accounts Spread Ceuta Migrant Hoaxes to Punish Madrid
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says social media networks linked to Russia and Israel spread false stories about a July migrant surge to Ceuta, aiming to destabilize Spain and Europe. He ties the campaign to Madrid’s positions on Gaza and Ukraine and cites EU analysis of foreign disinformation on irregular migration.
Spain’s prime minister has accused Russian‑ and Israeli‑linked online networks of amplifying false stories about a migrant influx to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, turning a local border crisis into an example of how foreign disinformation can target European politics.
Pedro Sánchez, speaking about the July 30–31 surge of Moroccan migrants toward Ceuta, said there was an expansion of hoaxes on social media by accounts associated with Russia and also Israel, as well as by an international far‑right that uses migration to attack Spain and divide Europe. He argued that these actors were not motivated by concern over migration itself, but by a desire to punish Spain for its political stance on the war in Gaza and on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sánchez said the European Union’s diplomatic service had concluded that Russian and Israeli networks spread such hoaxes and attacked Spain and other European governments on the sensitive topic of irregular migration. He described this as part of a broader effort to divide and polarize European societies around an issue that already strains politics across the bloc.
According to Sánchez, if Russia becomes involved in spreading disinformation, or if Israel also does so by criticizing the Spanish government, it would be because of the political positions Madrid is taking regarding what he called the genocide in Gaza and Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. In his view, the migrant surge and the online narratives around it have become tools in a wider struggle over Europe’s response to those conflicts.
For residents of Ceuta and other border communities, the episode shows how quickly rumors and manipulated content about migration can influence events on the ground, from movements of people toward the fence to police deployments. For migrants, misleading information about the ease of entry or prospects in Europe can help drive risky journeys based on false expectations.
Bringing both Russia and Israel into the discussion raises diplomatic stakes. Western governments have long accused Russia of using information operations to meddle in European and U.S. politics. Directly tying Russian‑linked accounts to a specific migration event in Ceuta reinforces that narrative. Linking Israeli‑associated online activity with efforts that Sánchez views as destabilizing is more unusual and comes as his government has been sharply critical of Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
Sánchez also warned that disinformation about irregular migration divides and polarizes many European societies. He said this assessment came from the EU’s external action structures, not solely from his own government, framing the issue as a European rather than a purely Spanish concern.
Next steps to watch include any formal responses from Russia or Israel to Sánchez’s claims, further public detail from EU institutions on the networks involved, and possible moves by Spain or the EU to counter foreign‑led online campaigns around migration. How Madrid handles this episode could shape broader European debates on naming and responding to foreign disinformation.
Sources
- OSINT