While the beach of Fnideq slowly returns to normal and thousands of people return to their homes after the largest migratory exodus recorded towards Ceuta, dozens of Moroccan families remain trapped in a wait that seems to have no end. Fathers, mothers and siblings tour hospitals, police stations and the border with photographs in their hands, asking about young people and children who they have not heard from since they jumped into the sea. At least 72 people have died, dozens remain missing and, for many families, the uncertainty has become a tragedy as painful as the loss itself.

First modification: 08/04/2026 - 19:52 Last modification: 08/04/2026 - 20:11

An agonizing wait next to the border. Every few minutes the same question breaks the silence in front of the fence that separates Morocco from Ceuta.

"Have you seen my son? Do you know him?" It is the phrase most heard among those waiting for news of a missing relative since the massive entry of tens of thousands of migrants into the Spanish city on July 30.

They arrive from Tangier, Fez, Casablanca, Tetouan and other Moroccan cities. Some have been sleeping near the border for several days. Others tour hospitals, morgues and police stations without getting answers.

They all hold the same gesture: a mobile phone with a photograph that they show to anyone returning from Ceuta.

According to Spanish police sources, at least 44 people remain officially missing, although humanitarian organizations and family members warn that the real number could be higher. Among those who remain unaccounted for are children as young as nine years old, adolescents and young people, as well as a 55-year-old woman.

Read alsoBetween mafias and geopolitics: what is behind the migration crisis in Ceuta?

A rumor that ended in tragedy

Many of the missing left their homes convinced by messages spread on social networks that assured that the border was open and that getting to Ceuta would be easy.

What they found was a journey that ended up becoming one of the worst recent migration tragedies on Europe's southern border.

The Spanish authorities have confirmed at least 72 fatalities, while Morocco has not released an official tally of deaths, injuries or missing persons. The testimonies of those who managed to return coincide in describing scenes of chaos at sea, with hundreds of people struggling to stay afloat among the waves and currents.

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"There were many dead," recalls Jalil, a Sudanese worker who crossed several African countries before trying to swim to Ceuta. He returned wounded because he realized that staying there was impossible.

Other migrants tell how they saw colleagues disappear among the waves without being able to do anything to help them.

Read alsoMafias or something more?: proceedings are opened to investigate the migrant crisis in Ceuta, amid doubts about Morocco

The faces behind the figures

Behind every photograph there is an interrupted story. Zahra looks for her brother Abjanib, a 23-year-old university student who had a job and whose decision to cross the border she still cannot understand.

"Young people want a better future, but it's not the way," he says while holding his photograph.

Ibrahim also finds no explanation for the disappearance of his 17-year-old son. He left Fez with just 400 dirhams - about 40 euros - money he had saved to buy clothes.

Since then she has not heard from him again. "We have gone to the hospital, we have asked the Police and they tell us that he is not registered either among the detainees or among the deceased. That is why we are still here waiting," he says.

There are also stories that symbolize the human cost of this tragedy. Among the fatalities is Faten Ben Amar El Azizi, a young promise of Moroccan women's football. Her club, Maghreb Atlético Tetuán, lamented that the athlete was not looking for "fame or adventure," but rather "a new door for her future." He died before reaching the coast of Ceuta.

Read also: From the migration crisis to the diplomatic one?: the scope of Italy's suspension of the Schengen agreement with Spain

Social networks: from the call effect to desperate search

The same digital platforms that during the previous days amplified rumors about a supposed opening of the border have now become the main instrument for locating missing persons.

"Please help us. We are looking for my 13-year-old brother."

Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X are full of photographs of minors and young people accompanied by desperate messages.

"Please help us. We are looking for my 13-year-old brother" or "If anyone has seen him in Ceuta or Fnideq, call this number" are some of the messages.

Local pages that usually published sports or entertainment content now function as improvised search boards.

In the absence of an official information channel for families, organizations working on the ground report that fathers and mothers depend almost exclusively on these publications to try to reconstruct their children's journey.

The Spanish Civil Guard has set up a specific office to receive reports of disappearance and has asked families to provide all possible information - photographs, physical descriptions or identifying data - to facilitate the search efforts.

Read alsoMigration crisis in Ceuta: what is happening and why is the Spanish Government mobilizing the Army?

A wound that will take time to heal

While authorities continue to investigate what happened and rescue teams continue searching at sea, Fnideq tries to recover its routine.

The beaches are once again filled with families and tourists, shops reopen and the bustle returns little by little to a city that just a few days ago was the scene of an unprecedented human mobilization.

But for hundreds of families, normality no longer exists. Many do not know if their children managed to reach Europe, if they remain hospitalized, if they were returned to Morocco or if the sea ended up becoming their last border.

Each person who crosses back from Ceuta represents a new hope. Families come up, show a photo, and ask the same question over and over again: "Have you seen my son?"

Until an answer comes, they will continue waiting in front of the sea where their dreams and, perhaps, also their loved ones disappeared.

With EFE and local media

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