FNIDEQ, Morocco (AP) — Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and friends gather along the Moroccan side of the border with the Spanish territory of Ceuta, scanning for familiar faces.
Each returning migrant is met with the question: Have you seen my son? My daughter? My brother?
kAmpFE9@C:E:6D D2J 2== 3FE 2 76H E9@FD2?5 @7 E96 fa[___ >:8C2?ED H9@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^DA2:?\46FE2\>@C@44@\>:8C2E:@?\3@C56C\G@I\hhe_3`d2f47b`2_dha3_h24cf2g624b7Qm4C@DD65 :?E@ r6FE2 😕 C646?E 52JDk^2m 92G6 D:?46 C6EFC?65 E@ |@C@44@] $@>6 72>:=:6D H6C6 C6=:6G65 E@ H6=4@>6 E96> 9@>6] ~E96CD H6C6 5:D2AA@:?E65 E92E E96 >:8C2E:@? 2EE6>AE 72:=65]k^Am
kAm~E96C 72>:=:6D DE:== H2:E 56DA6C2E6=J 7@C ?6HD]k^Am
k9amu2>:=:6D 9@=5 FA A9@E@D @7 E96 >:DD:?8k^9am
kAm%96 DFC86 E@ r6FE2 H2D =2C86=J 5C:G6? 3J A@G6CEJ 2?5 7F6=65 3J @?=:?6 CF>@CD E92E E96 3@C56C H2D @A6?[ EC:886C:?8 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^6F\46FE2\>:8C2E:@?\A@=:E:4D\DA2:?\62h37ef`b5`23bcabf_7ag664`45ggg5Qm4C:D:D C6D@?2E:?8 24C@DD tFC@A6k^2m] |@C6 E92? g_ A6@A=6 5:65 @? 3@E9 D:56D @7 E96 3@C56C[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2FE9@C:E:6D[ 2D A6@A=6 DH2> @C 4=:>365 76?46D 😕 E96 2EE6>AE]k^Am
kAm}62C=J 2== @7 E96 >:8C2?ED H9@ DFCG:G65 H6C6 6IA6==65 3J $A2?:D9 2FE9@C:E:6D @C C6EFC?65 G@=F?E2C:=J 27E6C D66:?8 E96J H6C6 F?H6=4@>6] |2?J @7 E9@D6 H9@ >256 :E 324< 3@CC@H65 A9@?6D 7C@> DEC2?86CD E@ C62DDFC6 2?I:@FD C6=2E:G6D 3642FD6 E96J 925 =@DE @C 232?5@?65 E96:C A9@?6D 😕 E96 ;@FC?6J]k^Am
kAmpD E96 7:CDE >:8C2?ED EC:4<=65 324< E@ |@C@44@[ 2? pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD C6A@CE6C H2E4965 72>:=:6D 9@=5 FA AC:?E65 A9@E@8C2A9D @7 >:DD:?8 C6=2E:G6D[ DE@AA:?8 C6EFC?66D @?6 3J @?6 😕 9@A6D E92E D@>6@?6 >:89E C64@8?:K6 2 7246]k^Am
kAm%96 >:8C2?ED DEF5:65 6249 A:4EFC6[ @776C:?8 H92E C62DDFC2?46 E96J 4@F=5[ @7E6? D2J:?8 @?=J E92E E96J 9@A65 E96 >:DD:?8 A6CD@? H2D D276]k^Am
kAm“x 92G6 366? =@@<:?8 7@C >J D@? 7@C 7:G6 52JD ?@H[” D2:5 x3E:DD2> r92C:[ H9@D6 D@? #2J2? 4C@DD65 H:E9 7C:6?5D 27E6C 962C:?8 E92E E96 3@C56C 925 @A6?65] “w6 42==65 >6 H96? 96 2CC:G65[ 2?5 D:?46 E96? x 92G6?’E 962C5 2?JE9:?8 7C@> 9:>]Qk^Am
kAmp?@E96C H@>2? DE@@5 D:=6?E=J 724:?8 E96 3@C56C] $96 D2:5 D96 92D 962C5 ?@E9:?8 7C@> 96C `a\J62C\@=5 D@?[ H9@ 4C@DD65 :?E@ r6FE2 H:E9 9:D @=56C 3C@E96C] ~?=J E96 @=56C @?6 92D C6EFC?65]k^Am
kAm“x 92G6 ?@E9:?8 6=D6 E@ 5@ 3FE 4@>6 96C6 2?5 H2:E[” D2:5 E96 H@>2?[ H9@ DA@<6 @? 4@?5:E:@? @7 2?@?J>:EJ E@ AC@E64E 96C 49:=5C6?] “x DA6?5 2== >J 52JD 96C6] x H:== 4@>6 324< E@>@CC@H 282:?]”k^Am
k9amu2463@@< 8C@FAD E92E 96=A65 E96 4C@DD:?8 D66< E96 >:DD:?8k^9am
kAmp? 6DE:>2E65 `[___ @7 E96 76H E9@FD2?5 >:8C2?ED 6DE:>2E65 E@ C6>2:? 😕 r6FE2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^DA2:?\46FE2\>:8C2E:@?\>@C@44@\>:?@CD\49:=5C6?\5d_c3ca4hf3ehe65dc`6fah65gcaga56Qm2C6 >:?@CDk^2m] $A2?:D9 D64FC:EJ 7@C46D 2C6 ?@E 2FE9@C:K65 3J =2H E@ 6IA6= E96>[ 2?5 E96:C 72E6 😀 F?46CE2:?]k^Am
kAmxE C6>2:?D F?4=62C H96E96C 2== @7 E96 5625 92G6 366? 7@F?5 @C C6EFC?65 E@ |@C@44@] {@42= ?6HDA2A6CD 2?5 2 D@FC46 2E E96 >@C8F6 😕 %6E@F2?[ E96 =2C86DE |@C@442? 4:EJ ?62C r6FE2[ D2:5 E96 724:=:EJ 925 C646:G65 >@C6 E92? 2 5@K6? 3@5:6D] y@FC?2=:DED H6C6 ?@E 2==@H65 E@ 6?E6C] %96 D@FC46 DA@<6 @? 4@?5:E:@? @7 2?@?J>:EJ 3642FD6 E96J H6C6 ?@E 2FE9@C:K65 E@ DA62< E@ ;@FC?2=:DED]k^Am
kAm|62?H9:=6[ |@C@442? 2FE9@C:E:6D 92G6 H6=565 D9FE E96 D>2== @A6?:?8 😕 E96 3@C56C 76?46 E92E 925 366? @A6?65 E@ 2==@H >2?J C6EFC?:?8 >:8C2?ED E@ C6\6?E6C E96 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAmu2463@@< 8C@FAD E92E 925 4:C4F=2E65 G:56@D D9@H:?8 H96C6 E@ DH:> 2?5 EC24<:?8 $A2?:D9 2?5 |@C@442? A2EC@=D 92G6 ?@H E2<6? @? 2 5:776C6?E AFCA@D6] u2>:=:6D A@DE A9@E@D E96C6 @7 >:DD:?8 C6=2E:G6D[ 9@A:?8 D@>6@?6 92D D66? E96>]k^Am
kAm“x7 2?J@?6 92D D66? E9:D 8:C= 😕 r6FE2 @C r2DE:==6;@D[ A=62D6 =6E FD @H] w6C 72>:=J 😀 8@:?8 4C2KJ[” @?6 FD6C[ w:32 }2<22I[ HC@E6 😕 E96 u2463@@< 8C@FA u?:56B q23 $63E2]k^Am
k9am$@>6 A2C6?ED 9@A6 E96:C 49:=5C6? ECJ 282:? 7@C tFC@A6k^9am
kAm|:8C2E:@? 92D =@?8 366? H@G6? :?E@ E96 2DA:C2E:@?D @7 >2?J J@F?8 |@C@442?D] !@G6CEJ 2?5 J@FE9 F?6>A=@J>6?E C6>2:? 9:89[ A2CE:4F=2C=J 😕 :?=2?5 C68:@?D E92E 92G6 ?@E D92C65 😕 E96 64@?@>:4 82:?D D66? 2=@?8 A2CED @7 E96 4@2DE]k^Am
kAmu@C >2?J[ tFC@A6 C6AC6D6?ED E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 H@C<[ DE23:=:EJ 2?5 2 5:776C6?E 7FEFC6] {2DE J62C’D J@FE9\=65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>@C@44@\86?\K\AC@E6DED\<:?8\6IA=2:?6C\3e34g4f3366bfd6_ghe5fd7d4d2_gd73Qmv6? + AC@E6DED 😕 |@C@44@k^2m C67=64E65 8C@H:?8 7CFDEC2E:@? @G6C :?6BF2=:EJ 2?5 E96 BF2=:EJ @7 AF3=:4 D6CG:46D]k^Am
kAm$@>6 A2C6?ED 6H E96:C 49:=5C6? :?E6?565 E@ >2<6 E96 ;@FC?6J]k^Am
kAmp7E6C C6EFC?:?8 7C@> r6FE2[ ae\J62C\@=5 ~E9>2?6 t= |6CK@F8 H2D 32C67@@E 2?5 9F?8CJ 2?5 56DA6C2E6 E@ 4@>>F?:42E6 H:E9 9:D 72>:=J] w6 2D<65 E@ 3@CC@H65 2? p! C6A@CE6C’D A9@?6 E@ 42== 9:D 72E96C 😕 E96 |@C@442? 4:EJ @7 $2=é]k^Am
kAm“s25[ x’G6 C6EFC?65 7C@> r6FE2] %96J 5:5?’E 2==@H >6 E@ DE2J[” 96 D2:5 @G6C DA62<6CA9@?6] w:D 72E96C AC@>:D65 E@ D6?5 >@?6J E@ 86E 9:> 9@>6]k^Am
kAmp EC2F>2E:K65 `f\J62C\@=5 7C@> %2@F?2E6[ |@92>65 r92<@C[ 2=D@ 2D<65 E@ 3@CC@H 2 A9@?6 E@ 42== 9:D 72E96C[ H9@ 2D<65 7@C 96=A 😕 7:?5:?8 @E96C H2JD E@ C6249 tFC@A6]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAm|2;5 $6>=2=: 😕 u?:56B[ |@C@44@[ 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D C6A@CE]k^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.