So when they heard rumours that Morocco’s border with Spain was open, they decided to join the rush to try to reach Europe.
Many families still haven’t been able to retrieve the bodies. He was buried in his hometown of Khenifra. Fuelled by misinformation, poverty and lack of opportunities, more than 70,000 would-be migrants from Morocco and beyond swam or climbed over a breakwater last month to try to reach Ceuta, a Spanish territory on the North African coast. At least 90 people died attempting to cross the border, according to official figures; rights groups reported a much higher toll. A Moroccan Interior Ministry document obtained by the AP says Akbili died at midnight on July 31.
When they arrived, Saadaoui said, there was complete chaos. From a distance, the crowds looked like ants, he said, as streets filled with people heading toward the frontier. Police fired stun grenades and tear gas in an attempt to disperse them, he said. His death was classified as “unnatural”, attributed to “severe head trauma”.
Iken could not swim, so he bought a life jacket for the crossing. Akbili, 31, lived in Tangier, about an hour from the coastal Moroccan town of Fnideq. The Interior Ministry said one of the 11 deaths recorded on the Moroccan side was caused by a cliff fall.
Migration had been on his mind for some time, but friends and family said he had never considered crossing illegally. His family was told he died after falling from a cliff. Friends who returned told the family they saw him struggling in the water before he drowned, Zligui said.
His death in the frenzied attempt to cross was announced by the soccer team’s fan club. But a cousin suspects foul play and wants further investigation. The 28-year-old Haibouri was vacationing in Martil, a Moroccan beach town about 25 miles (40 kilometres) from Ceuta, when he saw people heading there and decided to join them.
