Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has accused Russia, Israel and the international far-right of contributing to the recent migrant crisis in Ceuta, saying social media was used to spread rumors and disinformation that helped trigger the mass movement of people toward the Spanish enclave.
Sanchez said the disinformation campaign was particularly active on July 30 and 31 and involved claims linked to Russia and Israel. He also accused the international far-right of exploiting migration issues to attack Spain and create divisions within the European Union.
The Spanish prime minister's assessment was also reflected in an analysis by the European External Action Service, according to Reuters.
Sanchez was referring to misleading social media posts about a July 8 ruling by Spain's Supreme Court. According to the distorted version of the ruling, migrants who reached Ceuta by swimming could no longer be expelled to Morocco.
The Spanish government rejected suggestions that Moroccan authorities were behind the sudden migration surge. Sanchez said that none of the intelligence agencies with which Madrid normally cooperates had raised doubts about Morocco's role in the crisis.
