Jamila Afelom recounted how she identified her daughter, Fatin Ben Homar Azizi’s body solely by a necklace she had given her before she embarked on a fatal attempt to swim from Morocco to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Discovering Fatin’s body in a hospital a day and a half later, Afelom, speaking from Tétouan, Morocco, struggled emotionally as she vividly recalled the tragic events of late July.
Describing her daughter as bold, determined, and somewhat tomboyish, Afelom painted a picture of Fatin as a spirited 26-year-old who had a passion for soccer. Fatin, who often skipped school to play football, was remembered fondly by her coach, Adel El Kaab, from Moghreb Athletic Tétouan. El Kaab, who volunteered to train women’s teams, emphasized the importance of football as a refuge for young girls facing challenging economic circumstances.
Afelom, a single mother working at a cemetery, spoke of the financial struggles her family endured, with Fatin expressing her desire to seek a better life in Europe to alleviate their poverty. Despite Afelom’s attempts to dissuade Fatin from risky migration routes, the lure of a brighter future in Europe proved too strong for her daughter.
Tragically, Fatin’s journey ended in her untimely death as she attempted to cross into Ceuta amidst a surge of migrants from Morocco. The aftermath saw a heart-wrenching search for Fatin’s body, ultimately laid to rest in the same cemetery where she had toiled alongside her mother. The story of Fatin’s aspirations and the harsh realities of irregular migration underscore the struggles faced by many young Moroccans seeking a way out of challenging circumstances.