The death of Fatin Ben Omar El Azizi, a 26-year-old footballer who drowned while attempting to swim from the Moroccan coast to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, has shocked Morocco.
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The tragedy was compounded by the fact that on the very day Fatin died, her mother received a phone call informing her that her daughter’s visa to travel to Spain had been approved.
Fatin was among at least 141 people who died last month during a mass attempt to enter Ceuta. Most of the victims, who either drowned or were crushed at the land border, are believed to have been under the age of 35.
For the 26-year-old, football was not merely a sport but her hope of securing a better life. For years, she had played in Morocco’s regional league for Moghreb Atlético Tetuán, a club whose kits resemble those of Atletico Madrid.
Fatin lived with her mother and other family members in Tetouan, northern Morocco. She had lost her father when she was just 12 years old.
Her coach told The Guardian that the young woman had a deep love of football and never missed training. She trained at the stadium on Tuesdays, while Thursday sessions were held on the beach.
However, her earnings from the sport offered no security for the future. Fatin was paid around 260 dirhams, or approximately 25 euros, for each team victory, but received nothing after a defeat.
That amount was not enough for her to financially support her mother, two brothers and the rest of the family. For this reason, alongside football, the 26-year-old also worked at Tetouan’s oldest cemetery, where she cleaned graves and sold bunches of basil, a plant used in Muslim burial traditions.
Her mother, Jamila, said Fatin had hoped to fulfil her desire to leave through sport. “She dreamed of reaching Europe through football,” she said.
That dream ended tragically on July 30, when Fatin drowned while attempting to swim from the Moroccan coast to Ceuta. She now rests in the same cemetery where she once worked.
Her case highlights the difficult reality faced by many young Moroccans, who struggle with unemployment and low wages.
Over the past year, nearly 40% of Moroccans aged 15 to 24 were unemployed. Even young people who manage to find work receive low wages, while the gross monthly minimum wage in the private non-agricultural sector is estimated at around 316 euros.
Simo, a 20-year-old who recently returned to Morocco after taking part in the mass attempt to cross the border into Ceuta, said: “Like Fatin, many of my friends and I cannot find work in our country. It is difficult to build a future here.”
The deaths in Ceuta occurred less than a year after major youth protests in Morocco, the most powerful the country had seen since the Arab Spring in 2011.
Protesters have opposed the lack of funding for education and healthcare at a time when large sums are being spent on building and modernising stadiums ahead of the 2030 World Cup. Morocco will host the tournament together with Spain and Portugal.
Morocco views the World Cup as an expression of national ambition, but the investments associated with it have also fuelled debate over the use of public money.
Jamila knew of her daughter’s desire to train more and improve as a footballer, but the family lacked the financial resources to give her that opportunity.
On the morning of July 30, she received a phone call from someone who asked to speak to Fatin. “I am her mother,” Jamila replied.
The official informed her that her daughter’s application for a Spanish visa had been approved. Fatin was required to present her identification document at the consulate in Tangier to collect the visa.
Her mother had not known that her daughter had submitted such an application. She also cannot explain why Fatin decided to risk her life by setting out for Ceuta when she had applied for a visa.
According to Jamila, her daughter may have applied informally and perhaps did not believe it would be approved. Her mother still does not know what type of visa it was or the destination to which Fatin had intended to travel.
In the weeks before her death, Jamila had noticed a significant change in her daughter’s behaviour. Fatin had become withdrawn and quieter, and appeared sad.
After the 26-year-old was reported missing, her relatives continued searching throughout the night. At one point, a young man came to their home and asked whether Fatin had been wearing a tracksuit.
He told the family that the young woman had hit her head while attempting to cross into Ceuta.
Jamila could not bring herself to enter the area where the victims’ bodies had been placed. “I did not want that image etched into my memory,” she explained.
Jamila’s sister ultimately identified Fatin’s body.
The mother’s grief deepened further after the 26-year-old’s death when she learned that her two other children were also missing.
Her eldest son managed to enter Ceuta and later contacted his mother by phone. Jamila, meanwhile, continues to wait for information about her 14-year-old daughter, who is also believed to have managed to cross into the Spanish enclave.
“Now I am alone, without my children,” Fatin’s mother told The Guardian.
