Carmela Ríos: "Europe no longer has the unity of action that we have seen in other migratory crises"

BarcelonaThe journalist from Ceuta, Carmela Ríos, is an expert in social media and disinformation. Since the last weekend of July, she has been following with concern the unprecedented crisis that the autonomous city is experiencing, as well as the treatment it is receiving on social media, which has played a decisive role in the massive entry of people from Morocco.

Was there an increase in messages on social media in the weeks leading up to July 30th?

— There are important studies that say this began to increase from July 8th, following the Supreme Court ruling, which eliminated the rejection of migrants who entered by swimming into Spanish territory because there is no containment element, unlike the land border. From that point on, a series of manipulated reports began that made people believe it was possible to enter, and we moved to a narrative of "the border is open".

Who was behind it?

— Who is promoting this information and why remains to be seen. The fact is that the accounts reporting this kept multiplying, as did the advertisements for transport to the border and for the sale of gear to cross, which were also forwarded through WhatsApp and Telegram groups, and which created false expectations for thousands and thousands of people.

Was there a trigger?

— Days before the massive entry there were already attempts to cross by swimming. On July 27 and 28 a large number of people already crossed, among them two young sportswomen who were photographed by the newspaper El Faro. Once they had already crossed the border they made the victory sign with their fingers. This video was uploaded to Instagram and is one of the most viewed of the media outlet. It was shared a lot. It sent the message: "This is possible, it can be done, there has been a relaxation of the Spanish law".

Who coordinated the logistics and provided the material to cross?

— There is a large market of expectation for migration to Spain and Europe. We must not forget that Ceuta is not the final destination; many want to go up to other countries. WhatsApp and other private messaging channels are preferred by these clandestine migration groups, and Morocco has the obligation to combat these groups, by virtue of the agreements signed with the European Union. Its role is fundamental. It must be analyzed well, but everything points to the fact that it is the mafias that charge all these migrants to cross.

To what extent did the viralization of the calls respond to a spontaneous youth mobilization or to an organized and energized action?

— There was an atmosphere that encouraged many young people to try to cross, but there was a confluence of factors: the Supreme Court ruling, the frantic activity of WhatsApp groups preparing for the move north, the mass crossing action, the trading of products to cross... All this with the narrative installed that "it is easier to cross", "they cannot kick us out" and "the border is open".

What role did the Moroccan authorities play in controlling this situation?

— There are still many questions to be asked. Why did Morocco not foresee a police presence scaled to the tragedy that it ended up becoming? It allowed it, but it got out of hand: 80,000 people did not appear at the border by magic.

What differences do you see compared to other mass entries, such as the one in 2021?

— The 2021 one was a similar episode, but it was resolved very quickly because the majority of those who entered left; the return to normality was almost a matter of weeks. There was a migratory influx, with a political reason behind it, but the volume of entry, despite being enormous, was manageable. Furthermore, at that time, returns were allowed and the city recovered its normality quickly. What is happening now is not a border incident, this is the collapse of a city: when the same population that lives there enters, the collapse is absolute in every sense.

Disinformation on social media is a tool of hybrid warfare.

— Yes, I think this is a wake-up call for those who believe that wars are only fought with weapons. There is a high probability that this will happen again if resources are not provided; using people as a weapon is very easy to do, and even more so in a country where there is so little respect for human rights.

What lessons in terms of cyberintelligence and digital monitoring does this episode leave behind?

— One of the points of friction in Europe is that there is no conviction that this is important. The most desirable outcome would be for Morocco to be a trusted neighbor, a partner to rely on. I believe that the EU's commitment, even after the crisis, is to continue entrusting Morocco with the management of the southern border. This relationship should change in nature, the relationship with Morocco should be articulated in another way, and the EU should get involved in the southern border. Morocco has shown that it is a reliable partner until it stops being one and leaves a very large margin of vulnerability. This surprises a very divided Europe that does not have the unity of action that we did see in other migration crises.

We continue to see disinformation related to Ceuta on social media.

— Disinformation is difficult to quantify and measure, but it is always present and has had a very relevant weight in all phases of this crisis. First by modifying the narrative with many lies that have favored the pull effect and the massive entry, and then it has distorted everything. Now we are seeing a wave of health-related rumors about Ceuta, such as the claim that following the settlement on the beach of El Trampolín, the waters of Ceuta have been contaminated due to a tuberculosis outbreak. It is a lie.