Migrants return home after Ceuta hopes dashed by hunger, closed shops

The hope of a new life in Europe has been extinguished for tens of thousands of migrants who rushed into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta this week. Many are now heading back to Morocco, reporting hunger, exhaustion, and unwelcoming locals.

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We came to make progress, not to be fooled. I thought I'd build a better future there. But I was surprised in Ceuta.

Viral social media videos and messages from friends had suggested the heavily guarded border was breachable. However, upon arrival, many found themselves trapped in Ceuta with no clear path to mainland Spain. "We came to make progress, not to be fooled," said Brahim, a bakery worker from Fez. "I thought I'd build a better future there. But I was surprised in Ceuta."

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How come a tuna sandwich was being sold for 100 dirhams ($10.75)?

Brahim described surviving for three days on water alone, unable to afford the high prices for food in Ceuta. "How come a tuna sandwich was being sold for 100 dirhams ($10.75)?" he questioned. The situation in Fnideq, the Moroccan city opposite Ceuta, was dire, with streets leading to the border crossing nearly empty on Saturday, a stark contrast to the thousands who had gathered there just days before. Shops remained closed for days, forcing migrants to scavocate for food and water.

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Ceuta was like a prison, nothing to do there. Everything was closed.

"Ceuta was like a prison, nothing to do there. Everything was closed," said one port worker who declined to give his name. Some migrants also accused residents of El Principe, a neighborhood in Ceuta, of attacking them. "They imposed a siege to force us to leave Ceuta by ourselves ... They succeeded in their plan," said Moroccan waiter Yassine Ichou, referring to the widespread shop closures. Spain's Interior Ministry reported two minor injuries from knife attacks and one arrest.

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They imposed a siege to force us to leave Ceuta by ourselves ... They succeeded in their plan.