Six meters from the Dreamland

Thousands of migrants from West Africa (Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Cameroon...) leave their country in an attempt to reach Europe. The ones who don’t have the means to cross by sea, choose to travel over ground through Ceuta or Melilla, two Spanish enclaves in the north of Morocco. The migrants wait up to several years to « boza » - succeed in crossing the Spanish border -, living in camps hidden in the forest near the European border. Migrants clandestinely enter Morocco by crossing the border with Algeria or Mauritania. After a long journey, Morocco is the last step before Europe. The goal is to reach the top of the Massif Gourougou, in the North of Morocco, close to the city of Nador, where lies a camp sight hidden in the forest. Up to 1500 men live there in precarious conditions, waiting for the day they will cross the border. Life in the camp is very stressful. The Moroccan auxiliary forces attempt to dismantle the Gourougou camp up to several times a week. They destroy the inhabitants’ food and burn their belongings. The remaining migrants are forced to leave and sent towards Moroccan cities located far from the border. The migrants show impressive perseverance. Some of them have tried to cross the fence over 30 times. « Hot returns » by the Spanish Guardia Civil send them back to Morocco right after crossing. Migrants have tirelessly come back to the top of the mountain to try again and catch their dream. They become obsessed by the idea of succeeding as if it were a form of gambling. The option of going back home is not even mentioned, as the pressure from relatives is too high. Since March 2015, after the opening of the office of applications for asylum, the Spanish Government has hardened the migratory laws aimed at people trying to enter Spain illegally. Nevertheless, the migrants continue to attempt to cross the border and dream of the day when they will leave Gourougou.