Nestled near the tip of north Africa, the Spanish city of Ceuta is one of the most culturally and geographically unique locations in the world. As the southernmost frontier of Europe, Valla de Ceuta—an 8-kilometer-long, 10-meter-high fence—demarcates Spain from Morocco, acting as a final obstacle between thousands of migrants and their hopes for a better future.
However, many migrant women encounter a life of abuse and suffering in Spain. While Ceuta holds only 0.4% of the Spanish population, it leads in intimate-partner violence in the country. Statistics reflect a dark pattern of relationships between Moroccan women who come to Ceuta and Spanish men who prey on their undocumented status, marrying them and turning them into domestic servants. If a woman does escape an abusive marriage, she often finds herself with nowhere to go and limited support from Ceuta’s social services.
Using firsthand accounts of migrant domestic violence survivors, journalist Nicole Abudayeh looks to shed light on their stories, their voices, and their lives. Who are the women in Ceuta who are hidden behind closed doors?
