Harraga

Omar, Zackarya, Souleymane, Mohammed, and Younes are between 15 and 17 years old. They arrived illegally in Ceuta in May 2021, alongside nearly 8,000 other Moroccan and sub-Saharan migrants.

While many families in northern Morocco rely on cross-border trade with Ceuta for their livelihoods, the closure of the Tarajal border crossing, the only entry point, has plunged hundreds of Moroccan families into poverty. This has driven many young people to reach Ceuta and attempt the journey to Europe, hoping for a better life.

In 2021, UNICEF estimated that 300 to 500 minors were living on the streets of this 20-square-kilometer Spanish enclave. Left to fend for themselves, these young harraga (a dialect term meaning “border burners”), as they proudly call themselves, spend their days watching the ferries, hoping that one day they might cross the 14 kilometers separating them from their greatest dream: Europe.

Ceuta, Spain - August 202