Spain’s embassy in Rabat has alerted the government after a wave of social-media posts urged Moroccans to attempt to enter Ceuta en masse on September 23.
One poster widely shared on social media bears a simple message in Arabic: ‘Collective migration to Ceuta on September 23.’
The date coincides with Morocco’s general election, and troublemakers claim the country’s security forces will be focused on polling stations and major cities such as Rabat and Casablanca.
It has appeared in Gen.Z.212, a private Facebook group with more than 91,000 members which takes its name from Morocco’s youth-led Generation Z movement.
Spain’s embassy has reportedly warned the government of Pedro Sanchez about a surge in messages encouraging people to approach the border on the day of the vote.
However, there has been no official confirmation that the proposed crossing will materialise.
‘Cross the fence in silence’
According to reports, messages circulating in private groups advise potential participants to wait until election day rather than attempting to cross earlier.
One user reportedly wrote in Darija: ‘Guys, I’ll give you some advice: anyone who doesn’t want problems shouldn’t cause trouble on the 15th, because there is no plan. There will be an attempt on the 23rd because there are elections. And please, no fuss.’
Other messages include phrases such as ‘Ceuta, God willing’ and ‘One objective’, while users have allegedly advised people to cross the border fence ‘in silence’.
Claims that migrants will eventually receive residency papers in Spain have also circulated in the groups, based on misleading interpretations of Spanish court rulings.
The mobilisation is reportedly spreading beyond TikTok and Instagram, with closed groups appearing on Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord and Facebook.
These allegedly include a private channel called From Morocco to Ceuta, said to have almost 100,000 members, where information about surveillance and border security is being shared.
The number 212 is Morocco’s international telephone code and has been adopted by a youth movement active across several social-media platforms.
The movement describes itself as representing a generation demanding dignity, opportunity and a better future.
Election-day gamble
Those encouraging the crossing appear to believe Moroccan police will be diverted from the border town of Fnideq, known in Spain as Castillejos, to provide security elsewhere during the election.
Reports suggest a similar attempt had originally been discussed for mid-August but was abandoned because of a heavy police presence around Ceuta.
Young Moroccans are expected to be notably absent from the election itself. People aged between 18 and 24 reportedly account for just 4% of the registered electorate amid widespread frustration over unemployment, living standards and the lack of opportunities.
The warning comes as Ceuta continues to grapple with a migration crisis that began around 50 days ago and has involved repeated attempted crossings by land and sea.
The mass arrival at the end of July coincided with Morocco’s Throne Day celebrations, when many security officers had reportedly been deployed to Tetouan.
