Mother sells myrtle branches as family members risk deadly Ceuta crossing

In Tétouan, Jamila Ben Omar El Aziz makes a modest living selling fresh myrtle branches for graves, a trade that brings her a few dirhams per day. When the Ceuta border opened at the end of July, she watched her 31-year-old son Montaser, her 26-year-old daughter Faten and 15-year-old daughter Amira join a mass exodus toward the Spanish enclave. Migrants used everything from shared taxis to cargo-van roofs to cover the 40-minute journey to the frontier town of Fnideq, then attempted dangerous sea crossings or walked along the fortified wall.

Moroccan police confirmed 11 bodies recovered, while NGOs claim the death toll exceeded 140 on that single day. Faten disappeared during the crossing and is presumed dead; her family now mourns her loss while Montaser remains in Ceuta seeking residency. The tragedy underscores the desperate lengths young Moroccans take amid high unemployment and limited prospects at home.