'We returned empty-handed': Moroccans recount migration attempt to Ceuta

Thousands of Moroccans have returned to Fnideq, a city in northern Morocco, after taking part in an unprecedented surge of irregular migration into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta between July 29 and 31, which marked the largest single border breach in the territory's history.

The immigration surge was spurred by a Spanish Supreme Court ruling that migrants who swim into Spanish territory cannot be immediately deported without individual legal assessments

Ceuta is a small, fortified coastal city located on the northern tip of Morocco that is administered by Spain, while Rabat claims sovereignty.

In interviews with Anadolu, returnees recounted their suffering from hunger, food and water shortages, and the assaults they endured in Ceuta after their arrival.

However, some emphasized that the harsh experience did not extinguish their dream of migrating to Europe, even as the security and political repercussions of the crisis between Rabat and Madrid continue.

Some of them described the experience as "difficult," especially given the closure of shops and restaurants in Ceuta in addition to the assaults some suffered.

On Monday, local officials estimated that between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants remained in Ceuta after over 69,000 returned to Morocco following the mass crossing.

Younes, from the city of Larache in northern Morocco, said he endured three days of suffering in Ceuta before returning to Fnideq.

Younes told Anadolu that many migrants went without food during their stay in Ceuta.

He explained that he found it difficult to obtain food, except for leftovers in restaurants, and noted that even those with money struggled to buy food.

Despite the hardship he experienced in Ceuta, Younes said he would try to migrate again.

Mohamed Badidi, a resident of Fnideq, also said that many of the migrants who crossed into Ceuta did not find the conditions they had expected.

"Many of those who crossed into Ceuta couldn't even get water and bread.

The price of a loaf of bread there has risen to 5 euros, and a bottle of water to 3 euros," Badidi noted.

Many were forced to return to Morocco because they couldn't meet their basic needs, he stressed.

Separation fence

On Sunday, the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior announced that around 40,000 people had headed towards Ceuta, noting that the events had resulted in the deaths of 11 people.

It added that Moroccan authorities, through cooperation channels with their Spanish counterparts, were continuing to verify the reports of deaths, as well as the actual number of people involved, their identities, and nationalities.

According to Spanish media, the number of bodies recovered from the sea off Ceuta has risen to 88.

On Saturday, Spanish security sources reported that about 69,500 migrants had returned to Morocco after entering Ceuta in recent days.

On Sunday, Spanish authorities completed the installation of a 500-meter-long floating security barrier at the Tarajal border crossing, with the aim of reducing attempts at irregular crossings from the Moroccan side.

Despite the difficult experiences many migrants have endured, other young people still dream of migrating.

Ismail Ishaq said he came to Fnideq from Tangier after seeing friends and acquaintances who had managed to migrate and succeed in achieving some of their goals and finding suitable work.

Speaking to Anadolu, Ishaq said he wanted to help his mother by fulfilling his dream, saying that this was why he was trying to emigrate.

Moroccan explanation

On Monday, a Moroccan official asserted that a Spanish judge cannot undermine the system for combating irregular migration and then demand that Rabat bear the consequences.

Morocco's state news agency quoted an unnamed official as attributing the events in Ceuta to "a Spanish judicial decision," stressing that "Morocco has never failed to fulfill its obligations or responsibilities."

The official said that "on July 8, a Spanish judge ruled that the arrival of irregular migrants by sea prevents their automatic return," describing the measure as the cornerstone of the deterrence system.

According to the official, "in the eyes of smuggling and human trafficking networks, as well as would-be irregular migrants, the judge's decision provides protection for illegal entry by sea."

The official expressed regret over what he described as "the collapse of the deterrence element in the system and the removal of the barrier as a result of this decision, not because of pressure from criminals."

He claimed that the ruling "was known to the Spanish authorities, which could not have ignored that it weakened the entire system."

"Did anyone inform Morocco so it could prepare?" he asked, adding: "No. Did anyone anticipate the consequences, which were highly predictable? No."

Under such circumstances, "it is not surprising that these networks exploited the opportunity," the official said.