Many of the migrants who crossed into Ceuta this week are returning to Morocco, saying hunger, exhaustion and hostility from local residents crushed their hopes of a new life in Europe.
Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the northern tip of Africa, saw thousands of migrants storm its border in recent days by swimming or climbing fences. Large numbers have since crossed back into Morocco voluntarily.
Misled by social media
Most returnees say they were deceived by videos circulating on social media and messages from friends that made the crossing appear simple and promised rapid access to mainland Europe. Instead, they found themselves stranded in Ceuta with no route forward.
Brahim, a bakery worker from the city of Fez, said he quit his job after watching videos showing thousands of people crossing the border. He told reporters he came to improve his life, not to be made a fool of. He said he spent three days surviving on water alone because he could not afford food, questioning how a tuna sandwich could cost 100 dirhams, the equivalent of roughly nine euros.
Closed shops and a sense of confinement
The Moroccan town of Fnideq, located directly across the border from Ceuta, was largely deserted after days of heavy activity. Hundreds of young men were seen moving away from the frontier or waiting for taxis to take them home.
Migrants reported finding supermarkets and shops shut throughout the enclave. An anonymous worker from the Tanger Med port said Ceuta had felt like a prison where there was nothing to do and everything was closed.
Some migrants said they faced aggression in the El Principe neighborhood, an area with a significant Moroccan population inside Ceuta. Moroccan waiter Yassine Issou said he had been attacked and forced from the area. He said the closure of local businesses had left migrants with no choice but to leave on their own, and that the tactic had worked. These allegations have not been independently verified.
Spain’s Interior Ministry confirmed two separate knife attack incidents resulting in minor injuries, with one person arrested. Authorities said no deaths from knife attacks had been recorded in Ceuta since the crisis began.
City begins to stabilize
Cafes in central Ceuta have started to reopen and residents have returned to the streets, though a heavy police presence remains. Marina Castano, a 24-year-old whose family operates two cafes in the city, said life needed to return to normal but that the safety of her staff remained the top priority.
Tito, a local hardware store owner, said he felt both overwhelmed and powerless, adding that the young migrants were being exploited and used as bargaining chips.
Not all have abandoned hope. Mohamed Ahmed, a 43-year-old Sudanese man, said he had been transported by truck to the border and then swam for four hours to reach Ceuta. He said police were blocking migrants from accessing the reception center, but that he would not go back and would rather die trying to stay in Spain.
