Residents in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta tore down and set fire to makeshift migrant shelters last week, as tensions boiled over following a huge influx of migrants from Morocco. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has since accused Russian- and Israeli-linked networks of spreading disinformation that helped fuel the crisis, claims both governments have firmly rejected. The unrest matters because it highlights deepening friction in Ceuta over migration and raises the political stakes for Sánchez, who is also fending off accusations that Morocco's government allowed the crossings to happen.

Protesters carrying Spanish flags marched towards beachside migrant camps on two consecutive days, chanting "Invaders, expulsion" as police tried to keep demonstrators and migrants apart. The unrest follows a surge on 30-31 July in which more than 72,000 migrants crossed irregularly from Morocco into Ceuta, one of the EU's two land borders with Africa; at least 100 people died attempting the crossing, and roughly 5,000 migrants remained in the enclave as of Monday. Sánchez cited European External Action Service research pointing to Russian and Israeli involvement in disinformation, alongside far-right networks, and suggested both countries were retaliating over his stance on Ukraine and Gaza — though he offered no supporting evidence. Israel's foreign minister accused him of "lying shamelessly", the Kremlin denied any link, and Sánchez separately rejected claims that Moroccan authorities had facilitated the crossings.