Balearic Islands See Over 580 Migrants in 72 Hours

The summer of 2024 will have been marked by a high number of migrants on migratory routes to Spain. In addition to the Canaries, which are experiencing record arrivals , the Balearic Islands have also seen an unprecedented number of migrants disembark on the islands of this Mediterranean archipelago in recent weeks.

In early September, more than 580 people arrived on 30 boats in just three days. Among these arrivals, more than 100 migrants arrived on Tuesday on a single boat. All the exiles on board were North Africans, according to local media. Among them were two women and a baby.

Such an arrival on the same boat is unprecedented in the Balearic Islands. The previous largest arrival before this one dates back to the beginning of August, when a boat with 58 people on board was intercepted off the island of Formeventura, reports El Mundo .

On Wednesday, August 4, nine boats were counted off the Balearic Islands, carrying 144 people in total.

“So far in 2024, at least 3,203 immigrants have arrived in the Balearic Islands on 189 boats,” Cronica Balear totaled , noting that this number “far exceeds last year’s figures.” “In 2023, 128 boats carrying 2,278 immigrants [had] reached the islands,” the local media outlet details.

Much less used than the Canary Islands route, the sea crossing to the Balearic Islands remains an option chosen by thousands of migrants to enter the European Union (EU). The vast majority of migrants arriving in this archipelago are Algerian, followed by sub-Saharans.

Lack of accommodation space

Already in 2023,  this passage in the Mediterranean had seen a 46.7% increase in arrivals  compared to the same period the previous year. The situation had prompted the authorities to set up a temporary reception centre in Palma, Mallorca, with a capacity of 300 places.

The current arrivals are once again putting pressure on the archipelago’s reception facilities. As early as August, a shelter belonging to the Bishopric of Majorca had to be opened to accommodate minors. In July, a floor of a retirement home was also requisitioned to accommodate around forty new arrivals.

In Mallorca, while the authorities are pushing back the walls, they are also lamenting the lack of support from the central government. On July 16, the Institute of Social Affairs of Mallorca (IMAS) launched an appeal to Madrid to address the lack of places. Left unanswered, it was reiterated on August 3: in addition to additional places for minors, IMAS is demanding more financial resources for their accommodation, and a reform of Spanish migration policy.

“It is essential that the government assumes its responsibilities and acts decisively,” says an editorial in local media outlet  Mallorca Diario . “A comprehensive strategy is needed that includes strengthening rescue and reception resources on all the islands, and improving reception infrastructure […] Only in this way can we address this humanitarian crisis and guarantee the rights and dignity of migrants.”

“We can no longer accommodate these children”

The Balearic authorities are responsible for managing the accommodation of minors. But in this autonomous region, as in Ceuta or the Canaries, the authorities are no longer able to cope with the number of arrivals.

“We can no longer continue to welcome these children in decent conditions,” said the president of the Balearic government, Marga Prohens, at a press conference on Thursday regarding the reception of unaccompanied foreign minors.

The leader said that the facilities for minors in the Balearic Islands had an overcrowding rate of 850%, reported Mallorca Diario . “Formentera is already sending minors to other islands and the Council of Mallorca has already had to turn to the Bishopric. There are also not enough professionals to open reception areas in conditions of dignity,” she said.