Spain is once again at the center of the migration crisis, as Spanish newspaper El País reports that messages have been circulating widely on social media in recent days referring to a new mass attempt at irregular border crossing on August 15. Despite the previous attempt ending in tragedy — with dozens of deaths and those who managed to cross eventually being returned to Morocco — thousands of users continue to exchange information, advice, and speculation about whether this specific date represents a genuine plan or yet another rumor.
Spain: The messages spreading on Facebook and WhatsApp
According to El País‘s investigation, dozens of posts about August 15 are circulating in a Facebook group with approximately 23,000 members, which saw more than 6,000 new members join within a single week.
One user issued a pointed warning: “Most of those sharing posts about the mass crossing attempt into Ceuta on August 15 — I swear to you — are not going to achieve anything.” Meanwhile, in a WhatsApp group titled “Migration to Ceuta and Melilla” — created last Thursday and counting 35 members — the following message was posted: “Brothers, 15/8/2026.”
The Spanish newspaper contacted the administrator of one of the groups, who confirmed that the goal is to attempt entry into Ceuta on August 15, responding: “Yes, or even more than that.” When asked whether the operation would be safe or whether there was a risk of being pushed back, he simply said: “God knows. Join the group and ask.”
Ceuta: Fears of smuggling networks and heightened security alert
According to El País, the online conversations reflect both enthusiasm and deep concern. Some users write “See you there on the 15th. Be on time” or “I’m traveling up from Marrakech to the north to be there that day,” while others urge restraint, pointing out that Spanish authorities are now on heightened alert.
In one conversation, a group member writes: “Don’t take the risk. The situation is still tense. I’ll probably go at the end of the month, when things have calmed down. The first time they were caught off guard — now they’ve calculated everything.”
The newspaper also reports gaining access to five Facebook groups with nearly 400,000 members, as well as nine WhatsApp groups, while the Spanish fact-checking platform Maldita identified a total of 10 groups with 422,560 members, along with smaller WhatsApp groups and related posts on Instagram.
There are also growing fears that the spread of this specific date may be exploited by migrant smuggling networks to lure people to the border and then demand payment for transport via inflatable dinghies or small boats. The same online conversations include exchanges about potential crossing points into Ceuta and Melilla, alongside posts from people searching for missing relatives or seeking information about safer routes into the Spanish enclave.
