Large numbers of migrants who entered Spain's northern African enclave of Ceuta by swimming or scaling fences have begun to head back to Morocco, with many telling local observers that hunger, exhaustion and hostility from some residents dashed hopes of reaching the Spanish mainland.
Those returning to Fnideq, the Moroccan town opposite Ceuta, described how clips and messages on social media persuaded them to travel to the border in the belief security lines could be broken. After arriving in Ceuta, however, many found their options limited and said they could not move onward.
"We came to make progress, not to be fooled," said Brahim, a bakery worker from Fez who left his job and crossed the border after seeing footage of large numbers doing the same. "I thought I’d build a better future there. But I was surprised in Ceuta." Brahim said he survived for three days on water alone and could not afford the high food prices on the Spanish side. "How come a tuna sandwich was being sold for 100 dirhams ($10.75)?"
Back in Fnideq, streets near the crossing were largely empty on Saturday, a sharp contrast to the crowds that had amassed there earlier in the week. Young men were seen leaving the frontier along the highway or waiting for taxis as businesses in the border town remained shuttered.
Returnees recounted scenes of closed supermarkets and shops in Ceuta, which left many searching for food and water while their soaked clothes dried in public. "Ceuta was like a prison - nothing to do there. Everything was closed," said a worker at Morocco's Tanger Med port who declined to give his name because he was due to return to work.
Some migrants alleged that residents of El Principe, a predominantly Moroccan neighbourhood within Ceuta, had attacked or driven them out. Those claims could not be independently verified. Moroccan waiter Yassine Ichou said he was hit and chased away from El Principe. "They imposed a siege to force us to leave Ceuta by ourselves ... They succeeded in their plan," he said, referring to the widespread shop closures.
Spain's Interior Ministry reported that two people sustained minor injuries from knife attacks in separate incidents and that police had arrested one suspect. The ministry added that there had been no recorded deaths from knife attacks in Ceuta since Thursday.
The influx also affected local businesses and staffing. Rachid, who works at a hotel in Fnideq near the crossing, said all six of the kitchen staff had gone to Ceuta during the height of the movement and none had returned, forcing management to seek replacements.
On the Ceuta side, some signs of normal life returned as cafes reopened and customers returned. Patrol cars were visible in the streets, while many shops remained closed. "We’ve taken the initiative to open because, ultimately, life has to return to its normal rhythm, but our safety and that of our staff always comes first," said Marina Castaño, 24, whose parents own two cafes in the centre.
Others said tension persisted in the outskirts and that migrant reception facilities were stretched. An aid worker at a reception centre in Ceuta said it was full and unable to accept more people, estimating that thousands remained in the enclave.
Local merchants expressed mixed feelings. Tito, a hardware store owner whose shop remained closed, described a sense of fear combined with sympathy for young migrants. "You feel overwhelmed and, at the same time, helpless," he said. "Those young people, they’re being completely exploited. They’re being used as bargaining chips."
Accounts of the journeys varied in severity. Mohamed Ahmed, a 43-year-old Sudanese man, said a truck dropped him and others near the border and that he then swam for four hours to reach Ceuta. He said police were blocking migrants from taking the road to a migration centre, but added he intended to remain in Spain. "I’m not going back. I’d rather die trying here," he said.
The movement of people and the partial shutdown of commerce in border areas have had immediate local effects: shops and cafes in Fnideq have been closed for days, some Ceuta businesses shuttered temporarily, hotels saw staff shortages, and migrant reception services report being at capacity. Security patrols and a visible policing presence remain part of the response as authorities manage the situation.
As some migrants return to Morocco and others remain in Ceuta, the immediate humanitarian and commercial disruptions are evident on both sides of the border. Local communities and businesses are continuing to assess the impact while reception centres and law enforcement manage arrivals and public order concerns.