Archive · 18 Aug 2026
Job, Soccer, Better Life: Three Moroccans Who Died Reaching Europe
Three men from Morocco wanted better lives in Europe, but they died trying to get there.
Their names were Ayoub Akbili, Hamza Haibouri, and Abdelouahed Iken.
Ayoub had a degree in physics but worked in a factory and wanted a better job to help his mother.
Hamza loved soccer and dreamed of playing professionally in Europe.
Abdelouahed was a teenager who admired pictures a friend posted from Italy on Facebook.
They heard a rumour that the border to Ceuta, a Spanish city in North Africa, was open.
So they joined a huge crowd of people trying to cross.
More than 70,000 people tried to cross, and at least 90 of them died.
Now their families have to pay a lot of money just to bring their loved ones home.
The governments say fake news and smugglers caused the rush, while migrants say they had no jobs and not enough money.
More than 70,000 would-be migrants tried to cross into Ceuta from Morocco last month, with at least 90 deaths per official figures and a higher toll reported by rights groups.
Ayoub Akbili, 31, a physics graduate earning about $421 a month at a car parts factory, died of severe head trauma while seeking a job to fund his mother's hernia surgery.
Hamza Haibouri, 28, a soccer player for Morocco's Kenitra Athletic Club who earned about $540 a month, died pursuing a professional career in Europe.
Abdelouahed Iken, 19, a high school student from Agadir who could not swim, drowned despite buying a life jacket for the crossing.
Moroccan and Spanish authorities blame social media rumours and smuggling networks for the surge, while migrants cite unemployment and low wages, and families face about 2,500 euros to repatriate bodies.
- Who
- Ayoub Akbili, Hamza Haibouri and Abdelouahed Iken, three Moroccan migrants who died trying to reach Europe
- What
- Died attempting to cross from Morocco into Ceuta, a Spanish territory, during a mass migration surge
- When
- Late July, with Akbili's death recorded at midnight on July 31
- Where
- The Morocco-Ceuta border on Spain's North African coast; the men came from Tangier, Martil and Agadir
- Why
- Poverty, unemployment, low wages and social media rumours that the border was open, along with hopes of better jobs, soccer careers and lives in Europe
Migrants and Their Families
Moroccan and Spanish Authorities
Causes of the migration surge
Migrants and Their Families
Migrants cite unemployment, low wages, poverty and lack of opportunities as the main reasons for trying to reach Europe.
Moroccan and Spanish Authorities
Authorities blame social media rumours that the border was open and human smuggling networks for inciting the mass crossing.
Repatriation of the dead
Migrants and Their Families
Families face roughly 2,500 euros per body and long delays; the Trade Union Network for Migration in Morocco called on both countries to cover repatriation costs.
Moroccan and Spanish Authorities
Ceuta's government says the paperwork for repatriation is complete, but Morocco's government had not accepted it and did not respond to questions about costs.
How Akbili died
Migrants and Their Families
His cousin suspects foul play and wants further investigation, noting his phone and wallet stayed intact after an alleged cliff fall.
Moroccan and Spanish Authorities
A Moroccan Interior Ministry document classifies his death as 'unnatural' from severe head trauma and says one of 11 deaths on the Moroccan side was caused by a cliff fall.
- Migration surge
- More than 70,000 migrants tried to cross into Ceuta
- Official death toll
- At least 90; rights groups reported a much higher number
- Ayoub Akbili
- 31 years old, physics graduate, car parts factory worker earning about $421 a month
- Hamza Haibouri
- 28 years old, player for second-division Kenitra Athletic Club, earned about $540 a month
- Abdelouahed Iken
- 19 years old, high school student from Agadir who could not swim
- Repatriation cost
- Families were asked to pay about 2,500 euros ($2,900) per body
- Remittances to Morocco
- $6.6 billion in the first six months of the year, over 3% of GDP
- Morocco's expected growth
- 4.5% this year, amid persistent challenges turning growth into higher-wage jobs