ALGECIRAS, Spain, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- On a beach near the border between Spain and Morocco, Reda and Mohcin were building what they called a house.
The two Moroccan men tied reeds together to form a frame, then covered it with plastic sheets and other materials they found nearby. Around them, dozens of similar shelters stood across the sand.
The beach is called Playa del Trampolin, the Spanish word for "Springboard Beach."
For many of those who reached Ceuta during the mass crossing from Morocco on July 30 and 31, the name appeared to carry a promise. This Spanish enclave on the North African coast could become a springboard to mainland Spain or another European country.
More than two weeks later, that promise remained uncertain. Different people on the beach gave different reasons for coming to Europe.
For Mohcin, the decision was closely connected to the future he imagined for his children.
He said cannabis use among young Moroccans was becoming increasingly common. He did not want the next generation of his family to grow up in such an environment. Furthermore, he hoped to find a safer and healthier life, with a chance to escape poverty.
When asked which country he wanted to reach, Mohcin did not name one. "It is up to fate," he pointed toward sky and said. "Anywhere is better than where I came from."
Reda believed his skills could give him a chance to establish a new life in Europe. He speaks English and French and described himself as someone prepared to work rather than depend on assistance.
He said many of those who had already returned to Morocco had crossed the border without a clear plan. "Most of those who went back were uninformed teenagers. They came just to join in the excitement," he said. "Those of us who have skills and genuinely want to change our lives have chosen to stay."
Nearby, Hamdi, a Tunisian who had lived on the beach for 17 days, operated a small stall selling snacks and cigarettes. He occasionally took food from his stock and gave it to younger migrants for free.
Hamdi said he was a plumber who could also install and repair air-conditioning systems. "I want to find a way to go to Madrid and work," he said.
For Kenza Lamchannek, family connections helped shape the destination she had in mind. She has a cousin in France and hopes eventually to reach the country.
Their reasons for leaving were personal: work, poverty, family, safety and concern for the next generation. Europe represented different things to each of them. None had a clear legal route to the destination they imagined.
During the interview, Reda's phone was running out of power. He asked the Xinhua reporter if he could borrow a power bank.
The reporter handed it to him and said it could be collected after another round of interviews on the beach. Reda appeared surprised and repeatedly expressed gratitude for the trust placed in him.
The small exchange revealed a wider distance between the people living on the beach and many of those who came to report on them.
Several migrants actively approached European media crews and asked to tell their stories. Kenza was among those eager to speak. She moved easily between four languages, explaining how she reached Ceuta, why she had hidden from police and where she hoped to go next. With her, language presented no obstacle.
The migrants remained highly visible to cameras across the beach. Their own voices were heard less often.
Their willingness to talk did not make their entry into Ceuta any less irregular. But it did show something else: the thousands described collectively as "migrants" carried different backgrounds, abilities and expectations.
Ceuta is Spanish territory and operates under a special border regime. Reaching the enclave does not automatically allow a person to travel onward to mainland Spain or another European country.
Spanish authorities have put the number of people who crossed into Ceuta during the July 30-31 surge at around 80,000. Many have since returned to Morocco, while an unclear number remain in the city awaiting identification, asylum decisions or other procedures.
The uncertainty has gradually transformed Trampolin Beach into a temporary settlement.
Each additional shelter makes the settlement more permanent, even as those building it continues to speak of leaving.
Reda and Mohcin do not know whether they will eventually travel onward or be returned to Morocco. For now, the immediate task is to finish the shelter.
At the end of the interview, they continued fastening materials to its frame.
On a beach named for a leap forward, they were building for an indefinite wait. ■
