Migrants who crossed into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta in a mass border rush this week were returning to Morocco on Saturday, with many saying hunger, exhaustion and hostility from some residents had shattered their hopes of reaching mainland Europe.
More than 50,000 people entered Ceuta by land and sea during the unprecedented surge, which left dozens dead. Most have since returned to Morocco, although thousands are believed to remain inside the enclave.
Several returnees told Reuters they had been encouraged by viral social media videos and messages from friends suggesting that Ceuta’s heavily guarded border could be breached.
However, once inside the Spanish territory, many said they found shops closed, food scarce and no route onwards to mainland Spain.
“We came to make progress, not to be fooled,” said Brahim, a bakery worker from Fez who left his job after watching videos showing thousands of people crossing the border.
“I thought I would build a better future there, but I was surprised by what I found in Ceuta,” he said.
Brahim said he survived for three days on water alone and could not afford food sold at inflated prices.
“How can a tuna sandwich cost 100 dirhams?” he asked, referring to a price equivalent to around $10.75.
In Fnideq, the Moroccan city opposite Ceuta, streets leading towards the border were almost empty on Saturday, in sharp contrast to the thousands of people who had gathered there two days earlier.
Young men were seen walking away from the frontier along the highway or waiting for taxis, while many shops remained closed.
Returnees repeatedly described searching for food and water while waiting for their wet clothes to dry in the streets.
“Ceuta was like a prison. There was nothing to do and everything was closed,” said a worker at Morocco’s Tanger Med port, who declined to be named because he was expected to return to work.
Some migrants also accused residents of El Principe, a predominantly Moroccan neighbourhood in Ceuta, of attacking them or forcing them to leave. Reuters was unable to independently verify the claims.
Moroccan waiter Yassine Ichou said he was beaten and chased away from the neighbourhood.
“They imposed a siege to force us to leave Ceuta by ourselves,” he said, referring to the widespread shop closures. “They succeeded in their plan.”
Spain’s Interior Ministry said two people suffered minor injuries in separate knife attacks and that police had arrested one suspect. It said no fatal knife attacks had been recorded in Ceuta since Thursday.
The sudden migration surge also disrupted businesses in Morocco. Rachid, who works at a hotel near the Fnideq crossing, said all six members of the hotel’s kitchen staff had left for Ceuta and had not returned, forcing management to search for replacements.
Across the border, cafes began reopening in central Ceuta as the city gradually returned to normal. Many shops, however, remained closed, while police patrols continued throughout the streets.
“We decided to reopen because life ultimately has to return to normal, but the safety of our staff and customers comes first,” said Marina Castaño, whose family owns two cafes in the city centre.
An aid worker at a migrant reception centre said the facility was full and unable to accept more people, estimating that thousands of migrants remained in Ceuta.
Some local residents expressed both fear and sympathy over the mass arrival.
“You feel overwhelmed and helpless at the same time,” said Tito, a hardware shop owner whose business remained closed.
“These young people are being completely exploited. They are being used as bargaining chips.”
Despite the difficult conditions, some migrants said they remained determined not to return.
Mohamed Ahmed, a 43-year-old Sudanese man, said a truck dropped him and other migrants near the border before he swam for four hours to reach Ceuta.
He said police were preventing them from reaching a migrant reception centre, but he remained determined to stay in Spain.
“I’m not going back,” he said. “I would rather die trying here.”