Hunger and hostility drive migrants back from Ceuta

Thousands of migrants who entered Ceuta from Morocco began returning voluntarily on Friday after hopes of reaching Spain collided with hunger, closed businesses, overcrowding and hostility inside the enclave.

Spanish authorities said they had recovered 57 bodies from waters off Ceuta, while the Tetouan forensic service separately received 14 bodies linked to the crossings. Search operations continued for missing people amid fears that the death toll could rise.

Many arrivals found no accommodation and slept in streets, parks or outside reception centres that could not absorb the crowds. Migrants also reported struggling to obtain food after shops and cafés closed, while some returnees described insults, threats or physical attacks by residents.

The Federation of Women’s Rights Leagues said the participation of women, girls, minors and entire families required a response that placed humanitarian and human rights concerns ahead of a purely security-based approach.

Federation President Samira Mouhiya described the crossings as a “humanitarian disaster” and said the involvement of increasingly broad sections of society reflected deepening social vulnerability.

She said the crisis should prompt scrutiny of public policies on employment, education, health and social inclusion, arguing that repeated mass crossings showed that irregular migration had become an option of last resort for growing numbers of young people and women.

Spanish authorities described the movement back toward Morocco as voluntary returns, as the lack of food, shelter and any immediate route to mainland Spain led many migrants to reverse the journey.