Moroccan teen swims to Ceuta chasing brother’s football dream

Nineteen-year-old Nizar is living in a hut made from reeds, cardboard and scraps on a beach in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta.

He left his family, university studies and home in Morocco behind with one goal: reaching mainland Europe and helping his younger brother pursue a career in football.

Nizar shares breakfast with friends inside their makeshift shelter on Playa del Trampolin before heading onto the sand to play football with other migrants.

He also walks through Ceuta to buy food, calls his worried mother and shares photos and videos of his younger brother playing football back home in Morocco.

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"When I first came here, I had absolutely nothing," Nizar said. "I had to sleep on the ground with no blankets, but people in Ceuta helped us. Together we built this hut. Sometimes it gets good, sometimes it gets bad, but all we have here is patience."

For Nizar, football also provides a connection to the life he left behind.

"We lost our families, we lost our homes, but we still have this ball. It helps us forget the reality we are living in," he said.

Nizar, who studied at Mohammed Premier University in Oujda, said he swam to Ceuta 18 days ago without telling his parents.

He left university and his family hoping to reach mainland Europe, where he believes he can help his younger brother secure a place at a football academy.

"I came here with one goal in mind. I need to get my brother an opportunity [...] I left my mother, my father, I left university, I left everything back home. My dream is to see him playing on the big screen one day," he continued.

"I am surviving here just to get to Europe and maybe find him a place in an academy. As an older brother, I did all I could and I hope my work doesn't go to waste," he added.

Nizar shares the beach hut with his friend, 20-year-old Achraf Khannous from Sale, who also swam to Ceuta after studying to become a specialised technician.

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The pair are now among hundreds of migrants living along the beach as they wait to find out what happens next.

Playa del Trampolin has become one of the most visible sites of Ceuta's migration crisis after mass crossings from Morocco at the end of July overwhelmed the Spanish enclave.

Hundreds of makeshift shelters now line the shoreline, with migrants sleeping rough while awaiting decisions over their future.

The beach remains under heavy security after fresh attempts to reach Ceuta led to another crackdown on both sides of the border over the weekend.

Spain reinforced National Police, Civil Guard and maritime patrols, while Morocco increased operations along its northern coast to prevent further crossings.

Moroccan authorities initially said 148 people were intercepted around Fnideq on Saturday, with later reports putting the number detained at close to 300.

The operation followed online calls for another mass attempt to enter Ceuta and Melilla. Authorities also detained dozens of people suspected of promoting irregular crossings on social media.

Spain sent additional National Police and Civil Guard personnel to Ceuta, increased maritime patrols and installed new barriers off the coast.

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The measures follow the mass influx from Morocco on July 30 and 31, when tens of thousands of people entered Ceuta by land and sea.

Thousands are still believed to remain in the enclave, although estimates from Spanish and local authorities have varied.

Scores of people also died during the crossings, with Spanish and Moroccan authorities and humanitarian groups reporting different death tolls.