Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles confirmed before Congress on Tuesday that a Supreme Court decision regarding border expulsions in Sebta had generated a significant “pull factor,” directly contributing to the substantial migrant arrivals observed on July 30 and 31.
To substantiate her explanation, Minister Robles referenced a detailed report from the Spanish Defense Staff. This document meticulously outlines a three-phase escalation of the migrant mobilization. The initial phase, characterized as “concentrated migration,” commenced following the publication of the judicial ruling on July 8. This pivotal decision stipulated that individuals reaching the city by swimming could not be immediately deported by sea.
From that date onward, hundreds of individuals began crossing the border, with their numbers progressively swelling into the thousands. The minister specifically pointed to a “pull factor” that was amplified by a self-serving interpretation of the court’s ruling, which gained widespread traction across social media platforms.
In addition to this initial message, another narrative emerged, portraying Morocco’s Throne Day as an opportune moment for border crossings. According to Robles’ account, various Facebook groups disseminated the notion that Moroccan police presence would be significantly reduced during the national celebrations, thereby facilitating passage.
An ‘self-organised’ mobilisation via social media
The minister maintained that what was widely described as a “massive assault” was not the result of a centralized organization. Instead, she characterized it as a form of “self-organization” among the migrants themselves. These individuals reportedly converged on the border, propelled by a prevailing “message of opportunity” and online posts suggesting an “alleged absence of obstacles” for entering Sebta.
The narrative presented by the Spanish Defense Ministry thus positions social media at the very heart of this extensive mobilization. Robles asserted that the sheer speed at which these messages propagated made it impossible for security forces to “react in time” when thousands of crossing attempts simultaneously escalated.
Robles further stressed the material impossibility of “preventing, through the use of force, these surges of hundreds or thousands of people.” She warned that any such intervention would have led to catastrophic outcomes, stating during her testimony before the Defense Committee that “the number of deaths would have been incalculable.”
Minister Robles’ remarks resonate with the explanations provided by Morocco as early as August 2. At that time, the Moroccan Interior Ministry detailed a comprehensive and proactive response. This included the early detection of signals, heightened vigilance, the mobilization of security services, and intensified land and maritime surveillance. These measures successfully contained the situation, safeguarded human lives, preserved public order, and secured the borders, all while adhering to legal principles and proportionality. Rabat had similarly attributed these crossing attempts to the spread of misleading information on social media, the activities of human trafficking networks, and a misinterpretation of Spanish judicial decisions.
A unified command structure
Margarita Robles’ hearing marks the beginning of a week where eight ministers are scheduled to report to Congress. They will account for the Spanish government’s response to a crisis that erupted 26 days prior, following the entry of approximately 80,000 migrants.
Concurrently, Pedro Sánchez presided over the inaugural meeting of the National Security Council dedicated to the Sebta situation on Tuesday. Key attendees included the government’s vice-presidents, several ministers, principal state security officials, and Juan Jesús Vivas, who participated remotely.
This crucial gathering served to formalize the establishment of a unified command structure specifically tasked with managing the crisis. The coordination responsibilities will fall to the Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres. He will lead a dedicated committee that also comprises Juan Jesús Vivas, the government delegate, representatives from the National Intelligence Centre, and various relevant ministries, ensuring a cohesive approach to this complex challenge in African politics.
