Ceuta border crisis: 20-year-old footballer Faten Ben Omar el-Azizi died during the crisis

Faten Ben Omar el-Azizi, a 20-year-old footballer with dreams of playing in Europe, drowned while attempting to swim to the Spanish territory of Ceuta from Morocco. Her death occurred during a large-scale migration event where tens of thousands tried to enter Spain. El-Azizi's Schengen visa had reportedly been approved on the day she died, a fact her mother, Jamilla, only learned after her daughter went missing.

Jamilla told Spanish media that her daughter was passionate about football and wanted to move to Europe. She was unaware that Faten had attempted to reach Ceuta by swimming. During the search for Faten, a young man informed the family that she had hit her head during the crossing. Her aunt later identified her body based on a heart-shaped necklace.

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I knew that my daughter wanted to go to Europe. She was trying to achieve it through her passion, football.

El-Azizi, who grew up in Tétouan, played in regional leagues and for women's teams in Tétouan and Tangier. The Moroccan professional footballers' union offered condolences, and hundreds attended her funeral. A coach compared her playing style to Sergio Ramos, noting she played as a left-back.

El-Azizi's story has garnered significant attention, making her the only known victim of the Ceuta crisis whose life narrative has been widely publicized. This contrasts with the hundreds of other deceased and missing migrants whose identities remain largely unknown. A columnist for El País noted that if the victims were Spanish, their stories would be known, suggesting that El-Azizi's case gained traction partly because her life as a young female athlete challenged stereotypes about Moroccan migrants in European media. While official figures vary, the Caminando Fronteras organization estimates a higher death toll.

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If Ceuta's hundred dead were Spanish, we would know their names and faces.