Hate messages against North Africans skyrocket on social media following the events in Torre Pacheco.

BarcelonaHate speech is on the rise on social media, especially with racist and xenophobic messages. According to data from the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia, which reports to the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, more hate messages have been detected this July alone than in the entire second quarter of 2025: 190,000 this July alone, compared to 184,000 between the months. This increase coincides with This summer's xenophobic episode in Torre Pacheco (Murcia).

The majority of hate speech spread in recent months was directed at people from North Africa: 86% of cases during this month of July and 73% between April and June. To detect this hate speech, the ministry uses the FARO system, a tool that uses artificial intelligence to identify this type of content on social media.

Of the 184,000 messages detected by this tool over three months, the platforms removed 34%. Aside from Torre Pacheco, according to the report by the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia, there were other events that generated a spike in hate speech, such as the Champions League final and Eurovision.

What type of content is being spread? Between April and June, 54% of the messages are "dehumanizing" Muslims and people from North Africa; In 24% of cases, these people are presented as a "threat to society," and in 12%, "the expulsion of people of foreign origin is incited." "Violence" against this group is also incited in 5% of cases, while in 4%, "those who promote violent messages and actions are praised."

In July, "dehumanizing" messages decreased to 34%, but those identifying this group as a "threat" increased (rising to 29%), as did those calling for their expulsion (reaching 20%). Messages with violent content also increased by up to 12%.

Also directed at unaccompanied minors

In 88% of cases, insults or expressions of contempt are also included. Another notable fact: 20% of the messages detected use coded language to avoid automatic detection. In the context of the Torre Pacheco incident, the report also detected an increase in hate speech against unaccompanied children and adolescents: they account for 4% of the total, given that this type of speech had disappeared between May and June.