The wave of migrants who flooded into Ceuta, believing that Spain would be an "open door" of opportunity, proved a disappointment for thousands of young Africans. Within just 24 hours, thousands were turned back, seeing their dream of a legal life in Europe shattered.
More than 48,300 people, out of an estimated 60,000 who crossed en masse into Ceuta, voluntarily returned to Morocco, following the same route they had entered. They had spent the night outside, wandering the streets in search of food and water. There they realized that there was no "easy access" to Europe, unlike what they had been told.
"They lied to us. No one accepts us. It's like a prison," said an 18-year-old Moroccan, expressing the frustration of many of his peers.
Social media and false promises
Spanish authorities are now trying to identify who was behind the messages that led tens of thousands of young people to gather in the Moroccan city opposite Ceuta before attempting the crossing.
Posts and messages on social media were found on the phones of many migrants, according to which anyone who managed to swim to the Spanish side could obtain a residence permit, benefit from supposed legalization procedures and then travel without difficulty to mainland Spain.
These promises turned out to be false, but for thousands of young people without jobs and prospects, they were enough incentive to attempt the dangerous crossing.
How thousands of migrants swam through Ceuta
The mass entry of around 60,000 people into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Thursday was not a spontaneous movement. According to the Financial Times, many of those who swam across the sea border had been preparing for weeks, with the sole aim of reaching European soil.
This came days after around 1,800 people had managed to enter Ceuta by swimming around the breakwater that separates the Spanish territory from Morocco.
According to the testimony of a Moroccan swimming instructor, some migrants had taken lessons or taught themselves to swim, knowing that the sea would be the only way to Europe.
At the same time, an informal "infrastructure" for the venture was organized on social media. Facebook groups posted ads for the sale of fins and diving suits, while other users exchanged information in Arabic about weather conditions, sea currents and the route to Tarajal beach in Ceuta, even accompanying their posts with screenshots from Google Maps.
The road to the sea
Since the early hours of Thursday morning, thousands of people have been heading towards the border from the Moroccan side. They arrived on foot, by bicycle, by car or even in trucks, causing traffic jams on the roads leading to the border line.
Instead of going through customs, many of them walked down steep slopes to a narrow beach.
Although the shortest distance to Ceuta is only a few hundred meters, overcrowding and strong sea currents forced many to swim much longer distances, staying in the water for hours.
Images of chaos and tragedy
On the Spanish coast, arrivals were emerging from the sea with leg injuries from rocks. The Spanish Guardia Civil, which had taken over border security, monitored the situation without preventing the migrants from disembarking.
The image of a man who managed to reach the ground even with his bicycle with him, while others recorded their attempt on their mobile phones, was characteristic.
According to Spanish media, at least 57 people lost their lives at sea during the crossing.
Reality after arrival
Many of those arriving in Ceuta headed to the migrant reception center, which had exceeded its capacity in previous days and remained closed. Some of them remained on the ground under the supervision of police and the Red Cross, awaiting further developments.
Despite the impression created by the recent ruling by the Spanish Supreme Court that those who arrive by swimming cannot be immediately turned back, Ceuta is not a free gateway to the rest of the European Union. Additional border controls are required for crossing into mainland Spain.
By Friday afternoon, according to Spanish authorities, around 48,300 people had voluntarily returned to Morocco, while later the European Commissioner for Migration, Magnus Brunner, stated that "almost all" of those who had crossed the border had returned. ©Financial Times, Prepared by LAPSI.al
