Jamila Afelom recounted how she could only recognize her daughter, Fatin Ben Homar Azizi, by a necklace she had given her before she embarked on a journey to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco by swimming. Afelom discovered her daughter’s body in a hospital a day and a half after Fatin’s attempted crossing.
Describing her daughter as bold, determined, and somewhat boyish, Afelom shared that 26-year-old Fatin was passionate about soccer. Fatin’s coach, Adel El Kaab, remembered her as a younger sister and expressed missing her deeply.
Despite warnings about the risks of irregular migration routes, many female players coached by El Kaab ventured to Ceuta in search of a better future. Fatin, a single mother’s eldest child, had a strong desire to escape poverty and had previously attempted the journey to Ceuta.
Tragically, Fatin lost her life in the attempt. Her family searched tirelessly and eventually found her body in a hospital in Fnideq. The Moroccan human rights organization AMDH reported that numerous individuals had perished while attempting the crossing to Ceuta at the end of July.
Fatin’s burial took place at the same cemetery where she and her mother worked together. El Kaab emphasized how migration represents an escape from challenging circumstances for many young Moroccans, driven by high youth unemployment rates and dreams of improving their financial situations.
Afelom, grieving the loss of her daughter, expressed concern for her surviving children, including her 14-year-old daughter in Ceuta. She shared the pain of not being able to fulfill Fatin’s dream of lifting the family out of poverty.