Moroccan Migrant Returns Home After 6 Years, Overcoming Integration Challenges in Spain

Upon his arrival in Spain, the young man was placed in the Uba minor center where he remained until he came of age. "At first, I had a lot of trouble integrating. I didn’t understand Spanish," says Hamza, who was able to regularize his situation. "I have my work permit and I’ve already worked in supermarkets, or as an electrician in a company," he explains to Diario Vasco.

With his new papers, he went to Morocco, after having "spent six years without seeing [his] family". He is happy to see his loved ones again. "We missed each other a lot... But everything is fine. I have registered for the theater and currently we are dealing with immigration issues and raising awareness among young people about this "hard" situation experienced by thousands of young people who abandon their families in search of a better life," he adds.

Unlike Hamza, Ayoub Zerradi, 21, continues to overcome administrative obstacles to obtain his papers. Residing in an apartment of the Loiola Etxea association, he is taking cooking and catering courses in order to find an internship that could lead to a job contract. He left Casablanca in 2016 to build a better future for himself. His dream was to become a professional footballer.

"My dreams have changed. I no longer want to be a footballer. I just want to have my papers, a job, a normal life and go to Morocco to see my mother and family," he confides. Like Hamza, he has not seen his relatives since he left Morocco at the age of 15, six years ago. After his 18th birthday, he had to leave the minor center and spend a few days on the street. During this difficult period, he met good people who "helped him a lot," he assures.