[EN] Hate messages multiply by three on networks after the arrival of migrants in Ceuta

The FARO (Social Media Hate Filtering and Analysis) system has detected more than 57,000 hateful content on social media during July. The dehumanising and racist messages tripled on 30 and 31 July, coinciding with the massive entry of 72,000 migrants into Ceuta from Morocco.

The data offered by FARO in real time reflect that only during those two days, July 30 and 31, 10,377 hate messages were detected on social networks (4,569 on the 30th and 5,808 on the 31st). The figure represents an increase of 219.6% compared to the content registered just one day before the massive entry of migrants, when 1,817 hate messages were counted on digital platforms.

The bulletin for July 2026 published by the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia (Oberaxe), attached to the Secretary of State for Migration, states that the system detected a total of 57,406 hate speech content and discriminatory narratives on social networks last month, compared to the 40,800 registered in June.

In this context, the report states, «numerous dehumanising narratives have been identified, such as ‘what a disgusting race‘; narratives that present immigrants as a threat, with messages such as ‘Moors invaders of shit‘; as well as content that promotes the discredit of target groups, with comments such as ‘you are the opposite of civilized, one Spaniard is worth seven Moors'».

The report analyses the content detected on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and YouTube and also reveals that people from North Africa were the main target group of online hate speech. In this way, the trend recorded since the beginning of the monitoring continues.

IMMIGRATION AS A THREAT

This group accounted for 68% of the content analysed. Content aimed generally at immigrants accounted for 19% of the total messages monitored, while Muslims accounted for 16% of the content detected, five percentage points more than the previous month. Messages aimed at people of African descent and Latin America accounted for 10% and 7%, respectively.

Regarding the type of discourse identified, those messages that dehumanize these groups and those that present immigration as a threat stand out. In addition, citizen insecurity accounted for 48% of the monitored content.

Content related to sexual assaults accounted for 5% of the total monitored, while references to terrorism reached 4% and those linked to the arrival of boats, 1%.

Messages inciting the expulsion of migrants from Spanish territory accounted for 15% of the total, while those inciting violence reached 4%. Content aimed at promoting the discrediting of target groups accounted for 2% and those that praise those who attack them, 1%.

The report also states that 60% of the content examined used explicit aggressive language, characterised by insults, threats and direct disqualifications. In turn, 34% resorted to irony or sarcasm to spread discriminatory narratives and 33% incorporated images, videos, memes or coded language, formats that increase the capacity of these messages to spread and make them difficult to detect automatically.

HATE AND SPORT

The bulletin also states that hate messages linked to sport accounted for 34% of the content analysed. The 2026 FIFA World Cup resulted in the spread of racist, xenophobic and Islamophobic messages directed against players, national teams and fans.

Public policies related to migration also accounted for 17% of the content analyzed. Among the issues with the greatest presence in the digital conversation are the extraordinary regularisation of migrants, the European Union’s Pact on Migration and Asylum.

HATE CONTENT REMOVAL

Data from the newsletter shows that platforms removed 12% of messages reported by users. Likewise, 9% of the removed content was removed during the first 24 hours after notification, while an additional 1% was removed in the following 48 hours and 2% during the first week.

By platform, X recorded the highest removal rate (93%), followed by TikTok (88%), Facebook (74%) and Instagram (71%). In the case of YouTube, the removal rate stood at 14% of reported comments. The report particularly highlights the improvement experienced by Instagram, which more than doubled the rate recorded the previous month.