Through the Lens of X

Elon Musk sparked international criticism after commenting on the recent migration crisis in the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta. On his platform X, he described the mass border crossings as an "absolute invasion" and shared a clip from the film World War Z, showing hordes of zombies overwhelming a defensive wall. He then followed it with real footage from Ceuta, writing: "Just kidding, these are the real images."

The posts came as Spain faced a major border emergency, with an estimated 49,000 migrants entering Ceuta from Morocco within a short period. Spanish authorities deployed additional police and military forces to stabilize the situation.

Musk also claimed that Spain's social welfare system could theoretically attract "seven billion people," arguing that generous benefits would eventually bankrupt the country. Spanish officials and fact-checkers rejected the claim, noting that a recently approved regularization program applies only to migrants who were already living in Spain before 1 January 2026 and offers no benefits to the newly arrived migrants in Ceuta.

The zombie comparison drew widespread condemnation from human rights organizations and political commentators, who described it as dehumanizing and inflammatory. At the same time, the rhetoric was welcomed and amplified by several figures on the European far right, including representatives of Spain's Vox party and other anti-immigration activists.