A network of Instagram accounts is charging migrants hundreds of pounds for guidance on crossing from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, according to a BBC investigation. The accounts portray the crossing as straightforward, even as people have died attempting it.
The BBC's Top Comment podcast identified dozens of interconnected Instagram profiles that promote the route. To test the network, a BBC journalist created a fake account posing as a Moroccan man in his twenties looking to emigrate to Europe. One account replied and offered to help with the crossing for a fee.
When the journalist asked one anonymous account if it could help cross to Ceuta, it said yes and requested "5000 dirhams upfront" for "information that will help you enter Ceuta." That amount equals roughly 400 British pounds. The account said it had helped "many people" cross before and offered information about sewer pipes that could be used to reach the enclave. It requested payment through a specific money transfer service via bank account.
The account did not respond when asked whether a refund would be provided if the crossing failed. It later deleted several of its messages to the fake account. The same profile had previously told the BBC's real Instagram account that it does not encourage immigration to Ceuta, a message several other profiles also repeated.
The BBC's research suggests the accounts have contributed to a surge of crossings, alongside other factors including misinformation about changes to Spanish immigration law and allegations of weak border controls. Roughly 78,000 migrants from Morocco arrived by sea into Ceuta in a matter of hours last month. According to the Mayor of Ceuta, 100 of those migrants died.
The crisis has since calmed but has sparked tensions between European Union nations that share open borders and drawn criticism of the Spanish government.
Social media posts actively recommended by Instagram's algorithm were advertising another attempt at the crossing this weekend at the time of publication. Several of the profiles were removed from Instagram after the BBC contacted Meta. Meta told the BBC it had taken action on the accounts.
