Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles recently confirmed to Congress that a Supreme Court decision concerning border expulsions in Sebta acted as a significant “pull factor,” contributing to the substantial influx of migrants observed on July 30 and 31.

To elaborate on her points, Minister Robles referenced a detailed report from the Spanish Defense Staff. This document outlines the escalating mobilization in three distinct phases. The initial phase, termed “concentrated migration,” commenced following the publication on July 8 of the judicial decree. This ruling established that individuals who reached the city by swimming could not be immediately returned via maritime routes.

From that pivotal date, hundreds of individuals initiated crossings, a number that steadily grew into thousands. The Minister attributed this to a “pull effect” fueled by a specific interpretation of the court’s decision, which gained widespread traction across social media platforms.

This initial message was amplified by another narrative, portraying Morocco’s Throne Day as an opportune moment for border crossings. According to Robles’s explanation, various Facebook groups disseminated the notion that Moroccan police presence would be diminished during the national celebrations.

An “auto-organized” mobilization via social media

The Minister asserted that what was characterized as a “massive surge” was not the result of a centralized command but rather an instance of “self-organization” among the migrants themselves. These individuals reportedly converged on the border, driven by a “message of opportunity” and posts suggesting an “alleged lack of impediments” for entering Sebta.

The perspective presented by the Defense Ministry positions social media as central to this mobilization. Robles explained that the rapid dissemination of these messages hindered security forces from “responding promptly” when thousands of crossing attempts occurred simultaneously.

Robles further affirmed the “material impossibility” of using force to impede these “surges of hundreds or thousands of people.” She cautioned that such an intervention would have led to tragic outcomes, stating before the Defense Committee that “the death toll would have been incalculable.”

Robles’s remarks align with explanations provided by Morocco as early as August 2. At that time, the Moroccan Ministry of Interior detailed a proactive and comprehensive response, encompassing early signal detection, enhanced vigilance, the deployment of security services, and intensified land and maritime surveillance. This coordinated effort successfully managed the situation, safeguarded human lives, maintained public order, and secured borders, all while respecting legal frameworks and the principle of proportionality. Rabat had similarly ascribed these attempted crossings to the proliferation of deceptive information on social media, the activities of human trafficking networks, and misinterpretations of Spanish judicial rulings.

A unified command structure

Margarita Robles’s congressional hearing marks the beginning of a week where eight ministers are scheduled to present their accounts to Congress regarding the Spanish government’s response to the crisis, which erupted 26 days earlier following the entry of approximately 80,000 migrants.

Concurrently, Pedro Sánchez chaired the inaugural meeting of the National Security Council dedicated to the Sebta situation on Tuesday. Key attendees included government vice-presidents, several ministers, top state security officials, and Juan Jesús Vivas, who participated remotely.

This gathering served to formalize the establishment of a unified command structure specifically tasked with managing the ongoing crisis. Coordination responsibilities will fall to the Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, who will chair a committee. This committee will also comprise Juan Jesús Vivas, the government delegate, representatives from the National Intelligence Centre, and various relevant ministries.