Thousands of migrants who crossed into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta this week have begun returning to Morocco, saying hunger, exhaustion and deteriorating conditions shattered their hopes of reaching Europe.
More than 50,000 people crossed into Ceuta by swimming or scaling border fences during one of the largest mass migration events in recent years. Many said they were inspired by viral social media videos and messages suggesting the heavily fortified border had become accessible.
However, after arriving in Ceuta, many migrants discovered there was no clear route onward to mainland Spain.
"We came to make progress, not to be fooled," Brahim, a bakery worker from the Moroccan city of Fez, told Reuters.
He said he left his job after seeing videos of thousands crossing the border but spent three days surviving only on water because food was too expensive.
"I thought I'd build a better future there. But I was surprised in Ceuta," he said.
Food shortages and difficult conditions
In the Moroccan border city of Fnideq, streets that had been packed with migrants days earlier were largely deserted on Saturday as many headed home.
Returning migrants described closed supermarkets and shops in Ceuta, saying they struggled to find food and drinking water while waiting for their clothes to dry after swimming across.
One migrant described the enclave as "like a prison," saying there was little access to essential services and no opportunity to continue the journey into Europe.
Some migrants also alleged they were confronted by residents in Ceuta's El Principe neighbourhood, claiming they were threatened or forced to leave the area. Reuters said it could not independently verify those accounts.
Spain's Interior Ministry said two people suffered minor injuries in separate knife attacks and police arrested one suspect. Authorities said no deaths from knife attacks had been recorded in Ceuta since Thursday.
City gradually returns to normal
Businesses in central Ceuta began reopening as the city slowly returned to normal, although many shops remained closed and police maintained a visible security presence.
Aid workers said the city's migrant reception centre had reached capacity and estimated that thousands of migrants remained in the enclave.
Local business owner Tito said residents felt both overwhelmed and sympathetic.
"You feel overwhelmed and, at the same time, helpless," he said. "Those young people are being completely exploited. They're being used as bargaining chips."
Some refuse to leave
Despite the difficult conditions, not everyone planned to return.
Mohamed Ahmed, a 43-year-old Sudanese migrant, said he swam for four hours to reach Ceuta after being dropped near the border.
Although police were preventing migrants from reaching a reception centre, he remained determined to stay.
"I'm not going back," he said. "I'd rather die trying here."
