Seventeen-year-old Ikram messaged CBC on Monday, expressing her return to the streets after a brief respite in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave. Following weeks of sleeping rough in various places, including a forest and an abandoned bathhouse, Ikram had found temporary shelter with a family who she assisted in caring for their young children for three days.
Ikram departed from Fnideq, a Moroccan coastal town, in late July amid a surge of around 80,000 Moroccans and migrants from southern countries seeking entry into Ceuta. This influx was driven by the allure of Ceuta as a potential gateway to legal residency in Europe. In her own words, Ikram highlighted the desire for a better life, as her father’s modest income from tailoring was insufficient to meet their aspirations.
While the majority of migrants from the July wave quickly returned to Morocco, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that around 5,000 individuals remained in Ceuta. Local estimates put the total number of remaining migrants at approximately 9,000 in and around Ceuta, a small enclave with a population of about 80,000.
Of those still present, a significant number are unaccompanied minors, like Ikram, facing precarious living conditions. According to Save the Children Spain’s migration specialist, Jennifer Zuppiroli, the Spanish authorities have registered 2,500 minors in Ceuta so far, with the actual count potentially higher. The Minister for Youth and Children in Spain, Sira Rego, highlighted that many of these minors are under 13 years old, including around 700 girls among the migrant minors.
The challenges faced by unaccompanied minors in Ceuta are underscored by the harrowing experiences recounted by individuals like Ikram and Abdo, who have endured perilous journeys and the harsh reality of life in the enclave. Despite the difficult circumstances, these migrants hold onto hopes for a better future while navigating the complex landscape of migration policies and humanitarian aid in Ceuta.