An Associated Press report profiles several of the victims who died last month attempting to cross from Morocco into Ceuta, the Spanish territory on the North African coast, during the deadliest migration crisis yet recorded on that border. More than 70,000 people, driven by misinformation, poverty and a lack of opportunity, swam or scaled a breakwater after rumours spread that the border had opened, with Moroccan and Spanish authorities blaming social media hoaxes and smuggling networks while migrants themselves pointed to unemployment and low wages.

At least 90 people are confirmed to have died in the crossing attempt, though rights groups say the true toll is likely far higher, and many families have still been unable to recover their relatives' bodies. The article details individual cases, including Ayoub Akbili, a 31-year-old physics graduate earning around $421 a month who hoped to fund his mother's surgery; his death was officially attributed to a cliff fall, though relatives suspect foul play. Nearly all survivors have since returned to Morocco, and both countries have since tightened border security.