Reuters Names Photo of Weeping Moroccan Teen Migrant Among Best of 2021

The image of Achraf, the minor returned by the Spanish army to Morocco, after the migration crisis in May, has been chosen as one of the best of this year by the Reuters agency. This selection was made at a time when the Ceuta prosecutor’s office filed a complaint for the immediate return of this teenager, in violation of the texts in force. The local authorities were unable to prove that he was a minor and did not reveal the identity of the agents who took him back to Morocco, according to El Faro de Ceuta.

To read: Moroccan Minors in Ceuta Resist Repatriation, Citing Abuse at Home

The photo, taken by photographer John Nazka, stands out from the crowd because of the tears of the teenager who did not want to return to Morocco. Achraf’s story has touched the media who have put the spotlight on him. A few months later, the young man tried again to reach the peninsula, because he did not want to stay in Morocco, he told the same source.

To read: Moroccan Minors Flee Spanish Centers, Choose Streets Over Repatriation

Like Achraf, thousands of minors arrived en masse in Ceuta on May 17 and 18, causing an unprecedented migration crisis. Some were voluntarily returned to Morocco and others were repatriated. A good part is still being taken care of in the reception centers while a non-negligible number continue to wander in the autonomous city.