The trigger on 20 September 2026 is claims circulating on social media about newly built Tunnel nach Ceuta, through which migrants were supposedly crossing the border covertly. A review of recent statements from security forces and independent fact-checks finds that there is currently no confirmed evidence of such tunnels being used in an organised effort to smuggle people.
The Guardia Civil said it was continuing to investigate unusual border crossings and analyse traces, but had found no evidence of active migration tunnels. Local police sources in Ceuta said in agreement that the theory of new underground entries had recently lost traction; there was no forensically reliable evidence of a systematic operation. This is consistent with a Faktencheck by EFE Verifica and a review by RTVE: both pointed out that the videos and photographs in circulation could not be verified or came from other contexts.
At the same time, it is documented that investigators have in the past discovered underground structures in and around Ceuta attributed to drug trafficking. The Guardia Civil made a corresponding discovery public in spring 2026. These cases concern Drogentunnel and are the subject of ongoing investigation investigations into drug smuggling. According to the authorities, there is no evidence of a link to the smuggling of people.
Three things must therefore be distinguished: first, documented discoveries of individual smuggling structures in earlier cases; second, current investigations into individual border crossings, the precise circumstances of which are still being examined; and third, unsubstantiated Migrationsbehauptungen on social media, for which there is no official confirmation. According to the sources, statements by security personnel are explicitly provisional and relate to the state of the investigations.
Conflating reports of drug crime with rumours about human trafficking makes it harder to assess the situation publicly. Investigators and fact-checkers urge people to distinguish between verified information, attributed statements and speculation. Political assessments or announcements of tougher measures cannot be inferred from the facts currently known. Should the evidence change, new official statements from the competent authorities in Ceuta would be expected.
The position based on current knowledge is therefore that tunnels to Ceuta feature in social media claims, but their use for organised border crossings by migrants has not been substantiated. The only confirmed discoveries are earlier finds of underground structures linked to drug trafficking, which the Guardia Civil has reported.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).