The Fake ‘Invasion’ Of Spain: What You Need To Know
By Team Zeteo Photos: YouTube Screenshots|Wikimedia Commons Christmas came early for the global far right, as images showed tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco breaching the borders of the Spanish enclave Ceuta. From Donald Trump to Nigel Farage, the far right reacted exactly how you would think – by stirring up fear about a fake “invasion” and weaponizing the so-called crisis to rally their bases. Trump said the surge should be used as a “talking point” in the midterm election, while Farage used it to promote his Reform UK party. There’s a lot of misinformation, racism, and xenophobia driving the hysterical response from the right in the U.S., UK, and European Union. So, what really happened? Here are nine things you should know about the fake “invasion” of Spain: 1. Ceuta Is Not in Europe Although the six-mile-long peninsula is a Spanish enclave, Ceuta isn’t in mainland Spain. The city lies on Morocco’s northern coast. It has been under Spanish control since 1580 and is one of two Spanish cities that form the European Union’s only land borders with Africa, the other being Melilla. While Ceuta is part of the EU and the Schengen Area, it operates under special rules that restrict people from entering mainland Spain and the rest of the EU. 2. At Least 80% of the Migrants Have Already Returned to Morocco Voluntarily More than 48,000 people of the estimated 60,000 who breached Ceuta’s border have now returned to Morocco voluntarily, a clear contradiction of the claims of many right-wingers who called it an ‘invasion.’ At least 57 people died during the journey. 3. Trump and Israel Are Not Fans of the Spanish Government Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, is one of Europe’s most consistently critical leaders of Trump and Israel. Sánchez earned Trump’s fury earlier this year after not allowing the U.S. military to use Spanish bases for attacking Iran. While he doesn’t like Spain, Trump’s administration has enjoyed good ties with Morocco. Earlier this year, he bragged that the country named a highway after him. It’s not just Trump. Israel is also not a fan of Sánchez. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon falsely claimed that Spain called a state of emergency over the migrant breach. It hasn’t. 4. U.S. Lawmakers Disputed Spain’s Claim Over Ceuta in April A report by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee in late April noted that “the Spanish-administered cities of Ceuta and Melilla are located in Moroccan territory and remain the subject of Morocco’s longstanding claim.” 5. Morocco Used Migration as a Pressure Point Against the EU in the Past This latest migrant breach comes less than two weeks after Spain’s Prime Minister Sánchez visited Algeria, which borders the disputed territory of Western Sahara that Morocco claims. Some reports quote Moroccan migrants saying they were encouraged to enter Ceuta by Moroccan authorities. Spain has accused Morocco of using the migrant crisis as leverage for extracting monetary and political prizes in the past. In 2021, 8,000 immigrants crossed into Ceuta less than a month after Spain received the leader of the Polisario Front, a group seeking independence for Western Sahara. At the time, a Moroccan minister admitted that Morocco was justified in relaxing border control with Ceuta in view of Spain’s decision. 6. Several European Countries Said Spain Should Be Suspended From the Schengen Zone Italy announced a one-month suspension of border-free Schengen arrangements with Spain and called for it to be suspended from the open-borders Schengen zone, with several other member states like Poland and Finland backing Italy’s call. Sánchez responded by tweeting data that show Italy having more than double the number of irregular entries across its border than Spain. “Solidarity and empathy are optional. Respect for European treaties and data is not,” the tweet said. 7. Irregular Migration Is Not a ‘Growing’ Problem in the EU Data collected by the EU between 2015 and 2026 shows that irregular arrivals fell by 26% in 2025, their lowest levels since 2021. 8. The Breach Happened on Morocco’s ‘Throne Day’ July 30 is a national holiday in Morocco known as ‘Throne Day,’ which celebrates Mohammed VI’s ascension to the throne. Thursday marked 27 years in power for the Moroccan monarch. 9. Not Your Average Monarch Morocco’s King Mohammed VI was missing for most of 2022, according to a profile of the monarch published by The Economist in 2023, with one official estimating that he spent 200 days out of the country. The magazine noted that he had never held a press conference or given a television interview, and he spent most of his time with a former MMA champion who was convicted in Germany of assault, battery, theft, drug trafficking, and a lot more. Zeteo’s Mohammed Abdelbary and Zeteo UK’s Zainab Attarwala contributed to this piece.
Black News 
By Team Zeteo
Photos: YouTube Screenshots|Wikimedia Commons
Christmas came early for the global far right, as images showed tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco breaching the borders of the Spanish enclave Ceuta. From Donald Trump to Nigel Farage, the far right reacted exactly how you would think – by stirring up fear about a fake “invasion” and weaponizing the so-called crisis to rally their bases. Trump said the surge should be used as a “talking point” in the midterm election, while Farage used it to promote his Reform UK party.
There’s a lot of misinformation, racism, and xenophobia driving the hysterical response from the right in the U.S., UK, and European Union. So, what really happened? Here are nine things you should know about the fake “invasion” of Spain:
1. Ceuta Is Not in Europe
Although the six-mile-long peninsula is a Spanish enclave, Ceuta isn’t in mainland Spain. The city lies on Morocco’s northern coast. It has been under Spanish control since 1580 and is one of two Spanish cities that form the European Union’s only land borders with Africa, the other being Melilla. While Ceuta is part of the EU and the Schengen Area, it operates under special rules that restrict people from entering mainland Spain and the rest of the EU.
2. At Least 80% of the Migrants Have Already Returned to Morocco Voluntarily
More than 48,000 people of the estimated 60,000 who breached Ceuta’s border have now returned to Morocco voluntarily, a clear contradiction of the claims of many right-wingers who called it an ‘invasion.’ At least 57 people died during the journey.
3. Trump and Israel Are Not Fans of the Spanish Government
Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, is one of Europe’s most consistently critical leaders of Trump and Israel. Sánchez earned Trump’s fury earlier this year after not allowing the U.S. military to use Spanish bases for attacking Iran. While he doesn’t like Spain, Trump’s administration has enjoyed good ties with Morocco. Earlier this year, he bragged that the country named a highway after him.
It’s not just Trump. Israel is also not a fan of Sánchez. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon falsely claimed that Spain called a state of emergency over the migrant breach. It hasn’t.
4. U.S. Lawmakers Disputed Spain’s Claim Over Ceuta in April
A report by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee in late April noted that “the Spanish-administered cities of Ceuta and Melilla are located in Moroccan territory and remain the subject of Morocco’s longstanding claim.”
5. Morocco Used Migration as a Pressure Point Against the EU in the Past
This latest migrant breach comes less than two weeks after Spain’s Prime Minister Sánchez visited Algeria, which borders the disputed territory of Western Sahara that Morocco claims. Some reports quote Moroccan migrants saying they were encouraged to enter Ceuta by Moroccan authorities.
Spain has accused Morocco of using the migrant crisis as leverage for extracting monetary and political prizes in the past.
In 2021, 8,000 immigrants crossed into Ceuta less than a month after Spain received the leader of the Polisario Front, a group seeking independence for Western Sahara. At the time, a Moroccan minister admitted that Morocco was justified in relaxing border control with Ceuta in view of Spain’s decision.
6. Several European Countries Said Spain Should Be Suspended From the Schengen Zone
Italy announced a one-month suspension of border-free Schengen arrangements with Spain and called for it to be suspended from the open-borders Schengen zone, with several other member states like Poland and Finland backing Italy’s call. Sánchez responded by tweeting data that show Italy having more than double the number of irregular entries across its border than Spain. “Solidarity and empathy are optional. Respect for European treaties and data is not,” the tweet said.
7. Irregular Migration Is Not a ‘Growing’ Problem in the EU
Data collected by the EU between 2015 and 2026 shows that irregular arrivals fell by 26% in 2025, their lowest levels since 2021.
8. The Breach Happened on Morocco’s ‘Throne Day’
July 30 is a national holiday in Morocco known as ‘Throne Day,’ which celebrates Mohammed VI’s ascension to the throne. Thursday marked 27 years in power for the Moroccan monarch.
9. Not Your Average Monarch
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI was missing for most of 2022, according to a profile of the monarch published by The Economist in 2023, with one official estimating that he spent 200 days out of the country. The magazine noted that he had never held a press conference or given a television interview, and he spent most of his time with a former MMA champion who was convicted in Germany of assault, battery, theft, drug trafficking, and a lot more.
Zeteo’s Mohammed Abdelbary and Zeteo UK’s Zainab Attarwala contributed to this piece.
