Omar Lotfi’s family has been crushed under the weight of unanswered questions ever since he went missing.
From pleas on social media to contacting hospitals, aid groups and authorities, they’ve left no stone unturned.
Lotfi, 24, went missing on July 31, after leaving his hometown of Dar Bouazza on the outskirts of the Moroccan city of Casablanca, in the hope of reaching Ceuta. He was among more than 70,000 migrants who last week rushed toward the border with the small Spanish exclave in North Africa in the hope of starting new lives in Europe after a recent Supreme Court ruling on migrant returns.
At least 72 of them died, some drowning and others trampled in the charge. Most of the others have since returned to Morocco, but a few thousand remain, according to the Ceuta government. And among those that remain, some, like Lotfi, remain unaccounted for.
Since he was last seen in the Moroccan border town on Fnideq that day, nobody has been in contact with him, his sister Mariem says.
“We do not know where he is, whether he is safe, whether he was taken to a hospital, detained, or if something else happened,” she told CNN. “The uncertainty has been devastating for our family.”
The family are urging anyone with information regarding his whereabouts — no matter how little — to come forward.
“Omar is not just another missing person. He is a beloved son, brother, and friend,” Mariem said. “He has dreams, hopes, and a family that loves him deeply. Every day without any information about him brings more fear, pain, and uncertainty.”
Omar has tried to cross into Ceuta with a friend, who also hasn’t been heard from, Mariem told CNN. His decision to go caught the family by surprise.
“The emotional pain of not knowing whether our loved one is alive or where he might be is impossible to describe,” she said.
Despite the heartbreak, the Lotfis remain hopeful, praying every day that Omar will come home safe.
Experts say that, alongside the Supreme Court ruling, the relatively strong Spanish economy, a recent program to grant legal status to migrants already in the country and longstanding economic pressures on young people in Morocco and elsewhere in North Africa are factors that encouraged the border rush.
The surge prompted Spain to deploy its military after Ceuta authorities asked for help in managing the mounting border crisis that peaked on Thursday. People breached border fences, swam to the Spanish exclave and were seen running into the territory in scenes described as “absolute chaos” by authorities.
Such scenes have added to the fears of families like the Lotfis — as has the uncertainty. There is still no official figure for the number of people missing. CNN has reached out to the Moroccan government for comment.
Even among those migrants who have contacted their families, there is not necessarily a desire to return.
On Tuesday, Issam al-Mardy heard from his 26-year-old brother Et-Tayeb, who is in Ceuta, without food, shelter … or any plans to return to Morocco. Issam said his brother had been unemployed and had wanted to work in Spain.
“His dream was to go to Europe,” Issam told CNN. “Since he was young, he had been obsessed with Europe.”
CNN has attempted to contact Et-Tayeb directly.
The Ceuta government estimates that of the thousands of migrants that remain, more than 800 are minors.
Abdullah Al-Hafi, 17, is thought to be among them. The last time his family heard from him was when he was heading to Fnideq, Morocco, on July 30.
“Our family is living through a very painful time,” his brother Mohammed said. “Every day without news increases our fear and sadness.”
Like others, they have contacted Moroccan and Spanish authorities, but to no avail. Like other families, they are hoping someone with knowledge of his whereabouts will come forward.
Fourteen-year-old Nada Shiba was also headed to the Ceuta border crossing with her mother when they got separated and the young teen went missing, her uncle Yousef told CNN.
At the border, Nada went through but her mother did not, and ended up coming back — which has stirred tensions within the family.
“I’m very depressed, I’m very stressed about Nada’s fate,” Yousef said. “I have no idea where she is and if she’s OK or not.” His brother Mohammed, Nada’s father, has been traumatized ever since, Yousef said.
“I cannot blame Nada for this because all the youngsters in Morocco know that a better future lies in migrating to Spain, to live in Spain,” he said, adding that the European country’s track record in human rights, democracy and freedom compared to that of Morocco appeals to many Moroccans.
Had Nada been with family and taken care of in Spain, Yousef said he wouldn’t be as distressed as he is. But the thought of his young niece alone, not knowing where she is and how she is doing, outweighs any benefit of being in Spain under current circumstances.
CNN is attempting to contact Nada’s mother.
Rights groups say situations like Nada’s are particularly concerning.
“At this point, what’s important is to make sure that the child does not stop being a child simply because they cross the border,” Save the Children’s director of advocacy and regional development in Spain, Catalina Perazzo, said. “They’re entitled to this individual assessment and a safe place to sleep, to protection from harm and access to this specialized care.”
She warned that the sudden influx had overwhelmed the city and that there were “still a lot of children in distress in the forests, on the streets in Ceuta,” where food, water, shelter and clothing were scarce.
Meanwhile, the Moroccan Association of Human Rights has called on both Moroccan and Spanish authorities to open “independent, urgent and transparent investigations” into the deaths at the crossing and also to help “grieving families to know the fate of their children and recover their bodies for dignified burial.”
For families who have yet to hear from their loved ones, they point out, the unknowns are agonizing.
