Moroccan Migrant, 21, Dies in Tragic Border Tunnel Accident

Marouane left his native Tétouan at the age of 18 to join Spain and then France, more precisely Paris where he has family. But things did not go well for him and he returned to Catalonia, to Banyoles. From there, he went to Girona, spending days sleeping on the street or in abandoned warehouses, before settling with the family of one of his friends, in a village near Girona.

The young man has a criminal record for theft and would be the subject of an extradition procedure, which according to his entourage, would have pushed him to consider a departure for France. To illegally cross the border, Marouane chose to use the cross-border tunnel, considered one of the riskiest routes. In two years, at least four migrants have lost their lives on this new migration route between Spain and France, reports El Diario.

The tunnel connecting Portbou to Cerbère is eight meters wide and one-way. But "visibility is not good and it can be confusing at times," explains David Cerdán, a SNCF maintenance worker, who learned of the incident from a firefighter friend. The French authorities have not provided any information on the accident that cost the life of this young Moroccan whose lifeless body was found in the early morning of January 5. The Perpignan court confirmed the information.

Marouane was highly appreciated by his loved ones. Testimonies have been pouring in since the news of his death. "He was getting his life back on track. The pastry course was his daily motivation," says Anna Llamas, the social worker in charge of the municipal Sostre 360 program. His friends and loved ones paid him a final tribute on January 12 in the Plaça del Vi in Girona. They remember him as a smiling and charismatic man. Marouane’s body was repatriated to Morocco on January 17.