Hundreds of migrant children are stranded in Spain's Ceuta after mass crossing

CEUTA, Spain (AP) — The teenage girl made it through the waves to Spanish territory. Her little brother did not, drowning in the Mediterranean, while their mother disappeared in the chaos when tens of thousands of people surged through the breakwater, trying to leave Morocco behind.

The tragic story of a 17-year-old from Tangier is representative of the plight of many of the more than 800 minors who four days after the collective push by migrants into Ceuta face a scary present and an uncertain future.

She told an Associated Press photojournalist how she and her family joined the massive crowd that tried to swim around a border fence to reach the Spanish territory on Thursday. Like many, she said they did so seeking better opportunities. The AP is withholding her identity because she is a minor in a vulnerable situation.

She described how she saw Spanish police pull the body of her 8-year-old brother from the water.

She made it to the shore but became separated from her mother, and has spent the last four days on her own. She said some locals gave her food and some clothing, with one woman taking her into her home so she could bathe. She then went to a center for youths run by the government for some help, but found it was full.

“I saw people stepping on the dead,” she said through a translator since she doesn't speak Spanish. “Now we are children begging on the street.”

She is one of some 860 minors who remained in Ceuta on Monday after crossing over, according to local officials. AP journalists saw other minors asking for food.

Those minors now make up a large part of the 3,000-5,000 migrants who have avoided expulsion from Ceuta of the original 60,000 who came across. Spanish authorities confirmed 72 people died, mostly in the water, during the crossing. Morocco reported 11 deaths which are not included in the Spanish total, the Spanish interior ministry said.

Spanish law says that adult migrants can apply for asylum. If rejected, they will face expulsion procedures. The bar is normally very high for Moroccans to be granted humanitarian protection.

Migrant minors who are unaccompanied by adults, however, are supposed to be granted protection and taken care of by Spanish authorities.

An AP journalist witnessed Spanish soldiers escorting an unaccompanied Moroccan boy who was crying and begging not to be sent back to Morocco. A few meters before reaching the border, and due to pressure from local residents who insisted he was a minor, as well as the presence of the media, a lieutenant colonel in the Spanish Army stopped the repatriation and transferred the boy to the Spanish Civil Guard.

Most of the Moroccan adults have either voluntarily gone home or were pushed back by Spanish police. Among those who remain in Ceuta are significant numbers of people from other countries, including Sudanese fleeing their war-torn country, Palestinians from Gaza and Afghans, as well as people from several African nations.

The city’s migrant center with a capacity for 600 people is completely full. Food is scarce among the migrants, according to reporting by AP journalists.

“The strategy is that hunger, thirst and exhaustion forces these people to finally decide to voluntarily return to Morocco,” said local migration activist Ramsés Mohamed Azumik of Asociación Elín.

Many migrants sleep or rest on the beach or hills surrounding the speck of Spain. In the hazy distance, mainland Europe, their ultimate goal, lies across the sea.

Associated Press writer Joseph Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain.

Migrants who crossed into Spain from Morocco gather on a beach in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Sempere)

Migrants who crossed into Spain from Morocco sleep on a beach in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Migrants who crossed into Spain from Morocco gather around a bonfire on a beach in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A 12-year-old unaccompanied minor who crossed into Spain is escorted by a Spanish soldier to the Spain-Morocco border from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. The forced deportation of the unaccompanied minor was stopped by a high-ranking official a few meters before the child reached the border after residents and journalists said the migrant was a minor. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A 12-year-old unaccompanied minor who crossed into Spain is escorted by a Spanish soldier to the Spain-Morocco border as the child begs not to be sent back to Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. The forced deportation of the unaccompanied minor was stopped by a high-ranking official a few meters before the child reached the border after residents and journalists said the migrant was a minor. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

The Philadelphia Phillies took a big swing early Monday ahead of baseball's trade deadline, acquiring three-time batting champion Luis Arraez from the San Francisco Giants to create RBI opportunities for sluggers Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.

Arraez is hitting an NL-best .324 in a resurgent season after signing a $12 million, one-year deal with San Francisco early in spring training. The 29-year-old has his highest batting average since 2023, and he's played better defense at second base after questions about his glove hindered his market in free agency.

Schwarber is second in the majors with 33 home runs entering Monday yet ranks 31st with 63 RBIs, while Harper has driven in 66. The team's .304 on-base percentage is the second lowest in the majors.

Philly also got reliever Caleb Kilian back from the Giants in the trade for two minor leaguers, and it swung a separate deal for left-handed reliever Brooks Raley with the New York Mets.

The Los Angeles Dodgers woke up already looking like the deadline's biggest winners after adding two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal to a loaded roster Sunday. The Dodgers are chasing a third straight World Series title.

Over in the American League, Tampa Bay beefed up its rotation Sunday by adding right-hander Freddy Peralta while the New York Yankees acquired young slugger Luis García Jr. to give their Aaron Judge-less lineup a little more pop. Also on Sunday, the Chicago Cubs added Kevin Gausman to their rotation in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The trade deadline is Monday at 6 p.m. EDT. Some enticing options still remain, including San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller and Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho.

— The Seattle Mariners acquired outfielder Taylor Ward from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for minor league right-handers Alex Hoppe, Brock Moore and Harrison Kreiling, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Monday. Ward, 32, is hitting .246 with seven home runs and 30 RBIs in 111 games. He adds to Seattle’s outfield depth and could make impending free agent and All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena expendable.

— The Blue Jays bolstered their rotation with an eye on 2027 by acquiring right-hander José Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels for three prospects. The 27-year-old is 9-6 with a 3.29 ERA and has a 3.72 ERA over four big league seasons. He's under team control through 2028. Infielder Arjun Nimmala, a 2023 first-round pick, headlined the minor leaguers going to Los Angeles, along with outfielder Eddie Micheletti Jr. and right-hander Angel Rivero.

— The Cleveland Guardians picked up a power bat and some outfield versatility by adding Jo Adell from the Los Angeles Angels, who received minor league catcher Jacob Cozart. The 27-year-old Adell has 16 homers and 62 RBIs this season, one year after hitting a career-best 37 homers with 98 RBIs. Adell has spent his entire career with the Angels after being the 10th overall pick in the 2017 amateur draft.

— The Atlanta Braves acquired veteran left-handed reliever Brent Suter from the Angels for minor league infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. The 36-year-old Suter provides some bullpen depth for the NL East leaders. He was 1-2 with a 4.12 ERA over 63 1/3 innings in 41 appearances for Los Angeles, and threw at least two innings in 18 of those games.

— The Los Angeles Dodgers traded for backup catcher Ben Rortvedt for the second year in a row. This time, the Dodgers got Rortvedt from the New York Mets for right-hander Chayce McDermott. The 28-year-old Rortvedt hasn’t played in the big leagues this season and wasn’t on the Mets’ 40-man roster. The Dodgers acquired Rortvedt from Tampa Bay at last year's deadline. He appeared in 18 regular season games and four playoff games.

— The Chicago White Sox added righty reliever Huascar Brazobán from the Mets for minor league right-handers Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin. The 36-year-old Brazobán is 5-2 with a 2.56 ERA over 46 games this season.

AP Sports Writer Andrew Destin in Seattle contributed to this story.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Los Angeles Angels' Jo Adell, center, hits a two-run home run as St. Louis Cardinals catcher Iván Herrera, right, and home plate umpire Mark Ripperger watch during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Baltimore Orioles' Taylor Ward (3) celebrates scoring against the Detroit Tigers during the 12th inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Los Angeles Angels pitcher José Soriano throws against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

San Francisco Giants' Luis Arraez jokes with players in the San Diego Padres dugout as he stands on first base after getting hit by a pitch during the fourth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 30, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)