Dozens died trying to cross this fence into Europe in June. This man survived

By Ari Shapiro,

Ayen Bior, Miguel Macias, Matt Ozug, Sarah Handel, Ricci Shryock

Published November 18, 2022 at 3:35 PM CST

Steven Khon Khon, of South Sudan, stands on the Spanish side of a four-layered fence dividing Nador, Morocco from Melilla, Spain on October 11. On June 24, Khon Khon and many others trying to get to Europe charged the fence. They were beaten back by Moroccan authorities. Dozens were killed. Khon Khon made it to Spain that day, but his brother remained stuck in Morocco.

To visit a popular transit point into Spain, you have to go to Africa. There, you will find Melilla, a city perched on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea.

Migrants spend years trying to get there.

This has provoked severe border restrictions by Spanish officials.

"Melilla today is like a bunker. It's like living in an island," says Irene Flores, a longtime Spanish journalist in Melilla.

The Spanish enclave city has changed in the last few decades, making it all the more difficult for people like Steven Khon Khon to enter

Listen to our full report by clicking or tapping the play button above.

Mallika Seshadri contributed to this report. contributed to this story

Tags

Ari Shapiro

Ari Shapiro has been one of the hosts of All Things Considered, NPR's award-winning afternoon newsmagazine, since 2015. During his first two years on the program, listenership to All Things Considered grew at an unprecedented rate, with more people tuning in during a typical quarter-hour than any other program on the radio.

See stories by Ari Shapiro

Ayen Bior

Ayen Deng Bior is a producer at NPR's flagship evening news program, All Things Considered. She helps shape the sound of the daily shows by contributing story ideas, writing scripts and cutting tape. Her work at NPR has taken her to Warsaw, Poland, where she heard from refugees displaced by the war in Ukraine. She has spoken to people in Saint-Louis, Senegal, who are grappling with rising seas. Before NPR, Bior wore many hats at the Voice of America's English to Africa service where she worked in radio, television and digital. Bior began her career reporting on the revolution in Sudan, the developing state of affairs in South Sudan and the experiences of women behind the headlines in both countries. In her spare time, Bior loves to kayak, read and bird watch.

See stories by Ayen Bior

Miguel Macias

Miguel Macias is a Senior Producer at All Things Considered, where he is proud to work with a top-notch team to shape the content of the daily show.

Matt Ozug

See stories by Matt Ozug

Sarah Handel

Ricci Shryock