A Moroccan migrant who crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco told Reuters on Sunday (August 2) he wanted to go back to Europe after he was deported from Belgium.

Mohamed Sahil, 27, lived in Belgium two years ago before returning to Morocco where on Thursday (July 30) he swam towards the Spanish enclave.

“I don’t want to stay in Spain, but I’ve got lots of things to do in Europe,” he said in Ceuta.

According to Spanish authorities, about 50,000 people had crossed into Ceuta by land and sea from Thursday in an unprecedented surge at one of the European Union's only land borders with Africa. More than 48,000 of them returned to Morocco within 48 hours without major incident, Spain said.

The 27-years-old Moroccan said they were really hungry and were waiting for a solution from the Spanish government.

At least 72 bodies have been recovered on the Spanish side of the frontier, officials said, after some migrants drowned and others were crushed while trying to climb the breakwater and border fence. Many were driven to migrate by economic hardship and encouraged by social media rumours.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

REFILE: 'I want to go back to Europe' - says deported Moroccan migrant in Ceuta

VIDEO SHOWS: INTERVIEW WITH MOROCCAN MIGRANT, MOHAMED SAHIL, WHO SWAM INTO SPAIN'S CEUTA FROM MOROCCO / SAHIL AND OTHER MIGRANTS IN THE SHADE OF THE TREES

REFILING TO CLARIFY IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH THAT MOHAMED SAHIL USED TO LIVE IN BELGIUM AND WAS DEPORTED TO MOROCCO

SHOWS: CEUTA, SPAIN (AUGUST 2, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. MIGRANTS OBSERVING BEACH

2. MIGRANTS LYING ON BEACH

3. MIGRANT WASHING CLOTHES AT SEA

4. MIGRANTS ON BEACH

5. POLICE OFFICER ASKING MIGRANTS TO MOVE FROM SEA

6. MIGRANT SLEEPING USING PLASTIC BOTTLE AS PILLOW

7. MOROCCAN MIGRANT, MOHAMED SAHIL, WHO SWAM INTO SPAIN'S CEUTA FROM MOROCCO, WITH OTHER MIGRANTS LYING ON GROUND

8. SAHIL LOOKING AT CAMERA

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MOROCCAN MIGRANT, MOHAMED SAHIL, 27, WHO SWAM INTO SPAIN'S CEUTA FROM MOROCCO, SAYING:

“I want to go back to Europe. I want to go to Europe. I don’t want to stay in Spain, but I’ve got lots of things to do in Europe.”

10. MIGRANTS RESTING ON GROUND

11. MIGRANT’S HAND

12. MIGRANTS RESTING

13. BAREFOOT MIGRANT WALKING

14. (SOUNDBITE) (French) MOROCCAN MIGRANT, MOHAMED SAHIL, 27, WHO SWAM INTO SPAIN'S CEUTA FROM MOROCCO, SAYING:

"We’re really hungry. We’re trying to hold out. We’re holding out a bit. We eat a little, a little, sometimes, even though it’s not a good meal, we do it so we won’t die, that’s all. We eat sugar, cakes, things like that. We drink water."

15. MIGRANTS PASSING BY, SEA IN THE BACKGROUND

16. MIGRANT COVERED IN RED BLANKET

17. MIGRANTS WALKING

18. VARIOUS OF SAHIL

19. (SOUNDBITE) (French) MOROCCAN MIGRANT, MOHAMED SAHIL, 27, WHO SWAM INTO SPAIN'S CEUTA FROM MOROCCO, SAYING:

"We’re waiting for the Spanish government to work out a solution with us, that’s it. And we’re not doing anything wrong; we’re really calm. Have you seen all the people here? They’re asleep. Nobody’s causing any trouble or anything at all. Meanwhile, we’re just waiting for the Spanish government to work out a solution with us. That way, we’ll be able to enter Europe because nobody’s going to leave Ceuta. Because there are loads of people here. There are people who’ve come in to get medical treatment. There are people who have entered and have no family or anything. They’ve entered here, there are Palestinians, there are Africans. There are lots of different nationalities."

20. MIGRANT USING STICK TO WALK

21. MIGRANTS WALKING

22. MIGRANT SLEEPING ON GROUND WITH CARDBOARD COVERING HIS FACE

23. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MOROCCAN MIGRANT, MOHAMED SAHIL, 27, WHO SWAM INTO SPAIN'S CEUTA FROM MOROCCO, SAYING:

"I thought about a racist person could turn up, that I am going to die, a baton on my head, or I am going to fell from a mountain or something like that. Risk."

24. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE RESTING AND CARRYING MATTRESS

25. MIGRANTS PLAYING SOCCER

26. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MOROCCAN MIGRANT, MOHAMED SAHIL, WHO SWAM INTO SPAIN'S CEUTA FROM MOROCCO, SAYING:

“It’s difficult, difficult to have a shower, to eat, to drink water. It’s very difficult here. Right now, it’s very difficult. There are lots of migrants, there are soldiers here, there are police. You can’t just go out onto the street in peace.”

27. VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS AT BEACH