Thousands cross into Spain's Ceuta enclave; many return citing lack of aid

Tens of thousands of people have surged across the border from Morocco into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta in recent days, a desperate exodus that has seen many perish in the attempt. Moroccan forces were seen deploying tear gas and water cannons to control the crowds on Friday, while Spanish military personnel waited on the other side of the border.

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What we are doing here is neither good nor pleasant.

After reinforcements arrived, thousands of people gathered on the Moroccan side, finding the border seemingly blocked. "I was too late," Brahim, 32, told Reuters, explaining he had traveled from Tangier hoping to pass through the entry point, only to find it closed. Among those hoping to enter were women and children from Morocco and sub-Saharan countries.

One 16-year-old, Hadiya, told Spanish newspaper El Pais that she had told her mother she was going for a walk with a friend. She paddled for three hours on an inflatable ring and, though unharmed, was seeking a mobile phone to call home and explain her absence. The Spanish Interior Ministry estimates that many who successfully crossed into Ceuta have since returned to Morocco.

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I was too late.

Reuters reported that several returnees cited an inability to find food or shelter in Ceuta. "Honestly, I don't even know why I crossed the border and now I'm returning," one young man from Tangier told the news agency. "I haven't eaten since yesterday lunch, even though I have money with me. What we are doing here is neither good nor pleasant."

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I told my mother that I would go out for a walk with a friend.