69 boat owners arrested in the Islands in 2025

PalmThe Civil Guard and the National Police have arrested 69 boat owners who arrived in the Balearic Islands this year. This information comes from the Spanish government delegation, which has recorded 44 deaths and 15 missing persons in the archipelago's waters, although some NGOs estimate this figure to be higher. In total, 196 boats arrived in the islands this year, with 5,503 migrants on board, according to an EFE tally based on official data.

According to the same sources, when a small boat arrives, the police try to determine who its captain is. Although most are similar vessels, about six or seven meters long, they do not come from the same manufacturer, so investigators are not working on the hypothesis that all migrants who arrive illegally do so through the same human trafficking network. These small boats are often crowded with around twenty crew members, there are not enough life jackets for everyone, and there is little fuel or water, so accidents are common.

The migrants are now 50% of sub-Saharan African in origin, the same delegation has confirmed. Of the total, at least 15 people are reported missing: three from a small boat that sank on August 20, three miles south of Mallorca, and twelve more who jumped into the sea before being rescued on August 22, 36 nautical miles southwest of Cabrera. The 14 people who remained on board recounted what happened.

People disembark on the islands after often being on the road for up to a year and a half in very difficult conditions. They are initially cared for by Maritime Rescue, and the Spanish government provides them with food, clothing, and psychological care. After an administrative case is opened for them for having entered the country illegally, they are given access to accommodations where they can sleep for one or two nights, until the vast majority continue their journey through Europe. Unaccompanied minors are immediately separated from the group and are cared for by the island councils.

Frontex, more attentive on the islands since 2024

Despite President Marga Prohens's constant calls for Frontex to be activated in the islands, sources from the Spanish government delegation explain that the Executive has already requested that the agency pay more attention to arrivals from Algeria to the islands in November 2024. However, sources from the institution consider government relations to be a priority to improve the situation "at source." In the coming weeks, emergency temporary reception facilities for migrants will be set up in Palma, Ibiza, and Formentera, with capacity for 150, 115, and 38 people, respectively.