Spain’s Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, disclosed to Congress on Tuesday that a recent Supreme Court decision concerning expulsions at the Sebta border had inadvertently created a significant “pull factor.” This judicial outcome, she explained, contributed directly to the massive influx of migrants witnessed on July 30 and 31.

To substantiate her assessment, Minister Robles presented findings from a report by the Spanish Defense Staff. This document meticulously details the escalating migrant mobilization across three distinct phases. The initial phase, characterized as “concentrated migration,” commenced immediately after the Supreme Court’s ruling was made public on July 8. This pivotal decision stipulated that individuals reaching the city by swimming could not be subjected to immediate maritime expulsion.

Following this legal precedent, “several hundred” individuals began attempting to cross, a number that steadily grew into the thousands. The minister characterized this phenomenon as a “pull factor fueled by a self-serving interpretation of the ruling,” an interpretation widely disseminated across social media platforms.

A second, complementary message further amplified the perceived opportunity: the Moroccan Throne Day. According to Robles, various Facebook groups propagated the notion that Moroccan police presence would be significantly reduced during these national celebrations, thereby presenting a more favorable window for border crossings.

A ‘self-organized’ mobilization on social media

The minister asserted that what was initially termed a “massive assault” was not the result of centralized planning. Instead, she described it as a form of “self-organization” among the migrants themselves. These individuals, she suggested, converged on the border compelled by a “message of opportunity” and online posts claiming an “alleged absence of obstacles” for entry into Sebta.

The narrative put forth by the Defense Ministry places social media at the very core of this mobilization. Robles highlighted that the sheer speed at which these messages propagated prevented security forces from “reacting in time” when thousands of crossing attempts began simultaneously.

Robles also emphasized the material impossibility of “preventing, through the use of force, these surges of hundreds or thousands of people.” She cautioned that any such intervention would have led to catastrophic consequences. “The death toll would have been incalculable,” she stated during her testimony before the Defense Committee.

Minister Robles’ statements align with explanations previously provided by Morocco on August 2. At that time, Morocco’s Interior Ministry detailed a proactive and comprehensive response, which included early detection of signals, heightened vigilance, mobilization of security services, and intensified land and maritime surveillance. This strategic deployment, Rabat affirmed, successfully managed the situation, protected human lives, maintained public order, and secured borders, all while adhering to legal principles and proportionality. Morocco had likewise attributed these crossing attempts to the spread of misleading information on social media, the activities of human trafficking networks, and an erroneous reading of Spanish judicial decisions.

A unified command established

Margarita Robles’ parliamentary hearing marks the beginning of a week where eight ministers are scheduled to account to Congress for the Spanish government’s response to a crisis triggered 26 days prior by 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. The government’s vice-presidents, several ministers, key state security officials, and Juan Jesús Vivas, who participated remotely, were all in attendance.

This crucial gathering led to the formal establishment of a unified command tasked with managing the ongoing crisis. Coordination responsibilities will fall to the Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, who will lead a dedicated committee. This committee will also include Juan Jesús Vivas, the government delegate, representatives from the National Intelligence Center, and various relevant ministries.