Migration-Ceuta-The Dead

This undated image, provided by his family, shows Ayoub Akbili, a man who died while trying to cross from the Moroccan border town of Fnideq to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

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A physics graduate, a soccer player, a teen who couldn't swim: They died in the Ceuta migrant surge

A physics graduate, a soccer player, a teen who couldn't swim: They died in the Ceuta migrant surge

In a tragic attempt to reach Europe, dozens of Moroccans died trying to cross into Spain. Ayoub Akbili, Hamza Haibouri, and Abdelouahed Iken were among them, driven by dreams of a better life. They believed false rumors that the border was open. In late July, tens of thousands of Moroccans and other migrants headed to Ceuta, a Spanish city on the North African coast. At least 90 people died in the attempt. Social media rumors and human smuggling networks have been blamed. Moroccan authorities have increased border security. Families of the deceased face high costs to repatriate their loved ones' bodies.