Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and friends are gathering along the Moroccan side of the border with the Spanish territory of Ceuta, looking for familiar faces.
Each returning migrant is met with the question: Have you seen my son? My daughter? My brother?
Authorities report that all but a few thousand of the 72,000 migrants who entered Ceuta in recent days have since returned to Morocco. Some families expressed relief upon their return, while others were disappointed by the failed migration attempt.
Other families continue to wait anxiously for news.
Families Display Photos of Those Missing
The surge toward Ceuta was primarily driven by poverty and fueled by online rumors suggesting the border was open, which triggered a crisis felt across Europe. Authorities state that more than 80 people died on both sides of the border while attempting to swim or climb fences.
Nearly all migrants who survived were either expelled by Spanish authorities or returned voluntarily after realizing they were unwelcome. Many who made it back borrowed phones from strangers to reassure worried relatives because they had lost or abandoned their phones during the journey.
As the first migrants began trickling back to Morocco, an Associated Press reporter observed families holding up printed photographs of missing relatives, stopping returnees one by one in hopes that someone might recognize a face.
The migrants examined each picture, offering whatever reassurance they could, often only stating their hope that the missing person was safe.
“I have been looking for my son for five days now,” said Ibtissam Chari, whose son Rayan crossed with friends after hearing the border had opened. “He called me when he arrived, and since then I haven’t heard anything from him.”
Another woman stood silently facing the border. She stated she has not heard from her 12-year-old son, who entered Ceuta with his older brother; only the older one has returned.
“I have nothing else to do but come here and wait,” said the woman, speaking anonymously to protect her children. “I spend all my days here. I will come back tomorrow again.”
Facebook Groups Aid Search for Missing Individuals
An estimated 1,000 of the few thousand migrants believed to remain in Ceuta are minors. Spanish security forces are not legally authorized to expel them, and their fate remains uncertain.
It is unclear whether all deceased individuals have been located or returned to Morocco. Local newspapers and a source at the morgue in Tetouan, the largest Moroccan city near Ceuta, indicated that the facility had received more than a dozen bodies. Journalists were barred from entering; the source spoke anonymously because they lacked authorization to speak with journalists.
Meanwhile, Moroccan authorities have welded shut the small opening in the border fence that was opened to allow many returning migrants re-entry into the country.
Facebook groups that previously circulated videos showing swimming spots and tracking Spanish and Moroccan patrols now serve a different purpose. Families post photos of missing relatives there, hoping someone has seen them.
“If anyone has seen this girl in Ceuta or Castillejos, please let us know. Her family is going crazy,” wrote one user, Hiba Nakaax, in the Facebook group Fnideq Bab Sebta.
Some parents hope their children will attempt migration again for Europe.
Migration has long been tied to the aspirations of many young Moroccans. Poverty and youth unemployment remain high, particularly in inland regions that have not benefited from economic gains seen along parts of the coast.
For many, Europe represents a chance at work, stability, and a different future. Last year’s youth-led Gen Z protests in Morocco reflected growing frustration over inequality and the quality of public services.
Some parents were aware their children planned to make the journey.
After returning from Ceuta, 26-year-old Othmane El Merzoug was barefoot, hungry, and desperate to contact his family. He asked to borrow an AP reporter’s phone to call his father in the Moroccan city of Salé.
“Dad, I’ve returned from Ceuta. They didn’t allow me to stay,” he said over speakerphone. His father promised to send money to bring him home.
A traumatized 17-year-old from Taounate, Mohamed Chakor, also asked to borrow a phone to call his father, who requested help in finding other ways to reach Europe.