A wave of fabricated videos and recycled footage has spread online following the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, complicating the response to one of the largest mass crossings in years.
Spanish fact-checkers Maldita and Verificat have debunked posts that circulated a 2021 clip of a Moroccan police officer opening the Ceuta border fence as though it depicted events from July 2026. Separately, AI-generated videos have appeared purporting to show Spanish soldiers throwing bacon at migrants and a police officer tasering a man — none of which occurred.
Spanish security forces estimate that roughly 40,000 migrants have entered Ceuta in an irregular mass movement lasting around 10 days. At least 34 people died attempting the sea crossing, often departing from the Moroccan coastal town of Fnideq. The Spanish army has been mobilised to support the Guardia Civil and National Police in the enclave, which has a resident population of approximately 84,000.