CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — Ayoub Akbili needed money for his mother's surgery. Hamza Haibouri wanted a shot at a professional soccer career. Abdelouahed Iken was chasing the glossy life a friend posted about on Facebook from Italy.
So when they heard rumors that Morocco's border with Spain was open, they decided to join the rush to try to reach Europe.
All three died attempting to cross, becoming victims of the deadliest migration crisis between Morocco and Spain.
Fueled by misinformation, poverty and lack of opportunities, more than 70,000 would-be migrants from Morocco and beyond swam or climbed over a breakwater last month to try to reach Ceuta, a Spanish territory on the North African coast. At least 90 people died attempting to cross the border, according to official figures; rights groups reported a much higher toll. Many families still haven't been able to retrieve the bodies.
Nearly all the survivors have returned to Morocco, and both countries have intensified security measures. Moroccan and Spanish authorities blamed social media rumors and human smuggling networks for the surge, while migrants cited unemployment and low wages as major factors.

#migrants

By David Latona and Maria Alejandra Cardona
MADRID, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Hundreds of migrants who recently entered Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta staged a protest on a popular urban beach on Sunday, urging Spanish authorities to grant them asylum instead of ‌sending them back to Morocco.
They were among the estimated 5,000 to 8,000 who remain in Ceuta after the mass border crossing two ‌weeks ago that saw over 72,000 people surge into the tiny territory of about 80,000. The vast majority returned voluntarily in the following days.
With the city's resources overstretched, most migrants were living in precarious conditions on El Trampolin beach or the city's outskirts while awaiting a chance to journey on to continental Europe.
"We're sleeping next to the sea, with cold and bad smells. We're suffering a lot," said Ayoub Elarroud from Morocco's Tetouan, adding that police were blocking migrants from going to the city centre.

#madrid

CEUTA, Spain, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Hundreds of migrants set up camp on a beach in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta on Monday as local authorities struggled to cope with the thousands still in the tiny territory after a massive border rush last week.
Spain estimates ‌that about 69,500 migrants have returned to Morocco over the past four days, exceeding initial estimates of around 50,000 arrivals in Ceuta on ‌Thursday. The official death toll on the Spanish side of the border stands at 72, with 11 deaths on the Moroccan side.
Many said they left as shop closures had left them without food, they encountered hostility from locals and they were unable to travel on to the Spanish mainland.
Ceuta and Spain's other North African enclave, Melilla, sit on Morocco's Mediterranean coast and periodically face attempted crossings by migrants seeking to reach Europe.
Reuters video showed scores of migrants, most of them from sub-Saharan Africa, lying on the sand of El Trampolin beach. Many were wrapped in towels to shield from the wind, while army and police vehicles patrolled the road behind them.

#migrants #beach

At least 34 migrants have died trying to reach the Spanish territory of Ceuta after tens of thousands of people breached the border in Morocco. The crisis is boiling over for a second day with security forces clashing with migrants on the Moroccan side of the border.

#least #died #reach

CEUTA, Spain (AP) — Thousands of migrants streamed into the tiny Spanish territory of Ceuta from Morocco on Thursday, prompting local officials to call on Spain to declare a national emergency and send the army to restore the frontier.
Spain's interior ministry said it would guarantee the safety of citizens and the integrity of the nation's border, but that the government could not declare a national emergency over migration concerns.
Video footage showed crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, walking around the breakwaters at Tarajal beach onto local roads. While the majority appeared to be young men, there were also families with women and children. "Viva España!" some shouted to a freelance photographer working for The ***** ociated Press.
Spain is a main point of arrival into Europe for migrants seeking better economic opportunities or an escape from violence in their home countries.
The escalation at the border between Spain and Morocco comes after a surge in migrants attempting to reach the small exclave, mainly by swimming.

#ceuta #local #mainly