At the Borders of the European Fortress: “Rizki”, Being a Young Migrant in Ceuta and Melilla

The focus of this article is the negated childhood and the massive presence of young migrants in transit on the streets of Ceuta and Melilla, looking by any means to cross the Strait of Gibraltar. In spite of the rhetoric on the fortress Europe which here clearly appears through dozens of kilometers of fences, the article explores the porosity of the border and focuses not only on conflicts for border crossing but also on those related to the settlement of young people and families with migrant origin. The research project originates from a visual ethnography carried out in these two Spanish enclaves in Morocco, the only existing land border between European Union and Africa. The narrative is based on several field encounters and filmed interviews with unaccompanied minors in transit, activists and volunteers, cross-border families and young immigrants in enclaves, border employees and social workers.