Desperate Moroccan Youth Attempt Dangerous Crossing to Ceuta Amid Social Crisis

Hundreds of young people and children attempted, on the night of Saturday, September 14, 2024, to head towards the city of Ceuta. They "took the path of death after losing patience in the face of poverty, unemployment and marginalization, with the persistence of anti-social policies that only impoverish the poor and enrich the rich," says Fatima Tamni, a parliamentary deputy of the Federation of the Democratic Left (FGD), in a written question addressed to the head of government, Aziz Akhannouch.

"At a time when the government claims to be moving towards the construction of a social state, we see a totally opposite reality and far from the features of a social state; where social inequalities are widening, gains in terms of rights are undermined, unemployment is worsening, poverty is increasing, the purchasing power of citizens is weakened, and the promises made to citizens, particularly regarding employment opportunities and the fight against poverty and precariousness, are not kept," laments the elected official.

According to Tamni, "poverty, exclusion, unemployment, lack of decent and sustainable employment opportunities, as well as the high cost of living, are among the factors that have pushed these young people to leave and sacrifice their lives in the hope of finding better living conditions, bringing them closer to the dream of a dignified and delayed life." She also described the current government as a "failure," blaming it for failing to "manage most of the crises, deter young people from leaving, establish social and territorial justice, and limit exclusion and marginalization."

"Dozens of young people who wish to take the path of death come from the deep Morocco, where all-terrain vehicles have passed, loaded with electoral promises that have never materialized on the ground," said the FGD elected official, before questioning Akhannouch on "the usefulness of public policies that do not have an impact on citizens, but rather are responsible for the deterioration of the living conditions of large segments of the Moroccan population." She also questioned him about "urgent measures to save these young people who have chosen the path of death, due to political dysfunctions that have perpetuated neglect and nurtured despair and frustration."