Migrants Return From Ceuta Citing Hunger and Hostility After Mass Border Rush

Migrants who crossed into Spain’s Ceuta enclave earlier this week began returning to Morocco on Saturday, many saying the reality on the ground fell far short of what social media videos had promised. In Fnideq, the Moroccan city facing Ceuta, streets that had been packed with thousands just days earlier stood largely empty, with shops closed and young men making their way back along the highway.

No Food, No Way Forward

Many migrants described going days without proper meals due to shuttered supermarkets and inflated prices, with one man saying he survived three days on water alone after finding a simple sandwich priced far beyond his means. Some compared conditions inside Ceuta to being trapped, describing closed shops and little access to basic supplies.

Accusations of Hostility From Residents

Several migrants said they were confronted or chased by residents in El Principe, a neighborhood in Ceuta, though these accounts could not be independently verified. One migrant said the widespread closures felt like a deliberate effort to push people out. Spain’s Interior Ministry confirmed two minor knife-related injuries in separate incidents, with one suspect arrested.

City Slowly Returns to Normal

Back in Ceuta, cafes began reopening as life gradually resumed, though most shops stayed shuttered and police patrols remained visible. Local residents expressed mixed feelings, describing both concern over safety and sympathy for the young migrants, while aid workers said reception centers remained full, with an estimated several thousand migrants still in the enclave.