A 17-year-old girl reached Spanish territory by navigating through the waves, but her younger brother drowned in the Mediterranean. Adding to the tragedy, their mother went missing amidst the chaos as many attempted to reach Spain from Morocco simultaneously.
This young girl from Tangier shares the plight of over 800 minors facing uncertainty after a mass migration event to Ceuta. Through an interpreter, she recounted her journey to The Associated Press, describing their attempt to swim around a border fence for better opportunities. The AP withheld her identity due to her vulnerable situation. She recalled witnessing Spanish police retrieving her 8-year-old brother’s lifeless body from the water.
Having reached the shore, she became separated from her mother and has since been on her own. Neighbors provided her with food, clothing, and shelter. She sought help at a government-run youth center but found it overcrowded.
I saw people stepping over the dead,she said.Now we’re children begging in the street.
Local officials reported that close to 860 minors remained in Ceuta following last Thursday’s crossing event. Journalists observed other minors seeking food. These children are among the 3,000 to 5,000 migrants who avoided expulsion despite nearly 60,000 people crossing the border last Thursday.
Spanish authorities confirmed 72 deaths, mostly from swimming attempts, with Morocco reporting 11 additional deaths. Spanish law mandates care for unaccompanied minors. Adult migrants may request asylum but face strict criteria and potential deportation if denied. Minors must receive protection from Spanish authorities.
An AP journalist witnessed Spanish soldiers leading a crying Moroccan boy, who pleaded to avoid return to Morocco. Intervention from a Spanish Army lieutenant colonel and residents affirming the boy’s minor status prevented repatriation and led to his transfer to the Guardia Civil.
Many adult Moroccans voluntarily returned or were sent back by police. Those remaining in Ceuta include individuals from diverse nations, though the city’s migrant center, designed for 600 people, is at full capacity. Journalists report food shortages for migrants.
The plan is for hunger, thirst, and exhaustion to drive these individuals to return to Morocco voluntarily,noted local activist Ramsés Mohamed Azumik.
Migrants often rest on the beach or in the hills surrounding the Spanish territory, with mainland Europe— their hoped-for destination— faintly visible across the sea.
A journalist from The Associated Press, Joseph Wilson, contributed reporting from Barcelona.