Formentera has an avalanche of dinghies while waiting for the control radar

IbizaIn Formentera, calm seas provoke unease. A strange feeling in a sun and beach destination. The same anticyclone that encourages the arrival of tourists and recreational boats fuels the arrival of dinghies. And more and more are arriving. The figures confirm it: in the last weekend of May alone, 15 boats with 236 people on board arrived at the southern Pitiusa island, 17 of whom were minors. Data from the Government Delegation in the Balearic Islands confirms the trend: by May 31, 63 dinghies with 1,056 people had arrived in Formentera, 49% more than in 2025. Another 156 people arrived in Ibiza. There is no one left who disputes the facts: the route between Algeria and the Balearic Islands – and especially Formentera – is a massive and consolidated migratory route. Less than a year ago, the Spanish government was not so clear about it.

Now it is. The route has not only consolidated but is growing. The "dead at sea," the laconic phrase inscribed on the niches, accumulates in Formentera's cemetery; that and a simple date. At the end of June 2025, there were 12. Right now, there are 26. On March 30, an event occurred that can only be described as a tragedy: the sea returned the body of a migrant five months pregnant. The misfortune struck Formentera society; many neighbors attended the funeral held two weeks later. Dead at sea. Unknown. 03-30-2026. And two bouquets of flowers: one large and one small.

The discovery of bodies of "possible migrants" at sea has been frequent in recent months; perhaps soon they will cease to be news. The organization Caminando Fronteras estimates in its 2025 report that 1,037 migrants lost their lives on the route between North Africa and the Balearic Islands. A large part of the dinghies had the smallest of the Pitiusa islands as their final destination. When 2026 closes, the toll could be worse. This NGO bases its figures on disappearance reports that families send them, not on discoveries; migrants who are known to have departed but whose trail has been lost along the way. They denounce that the route has been "denied and made invisible by institutions".

Radar to confront the "emergency"

But little by little the State has begun to respond. Last November, a tent was set up at the port of La Savina, in Formentera, managed by the Red Cross and the Civil Guard; before, migrants were attended to in the porch of a port building. In Ibiza, another one was set up at Botafoc; to this will be added an additional space for the National Police to carry out the necessary procedures with migrants, which already has the approval of the Port Authority. Also, last May, the construction of a radar at La Mola de Formentera was awarded for 2.2 million euros to the French cybersecurity company Atos; it will be integrated into the SIVE (Integrated External Surveillance System) network of the Civil Guard. The radar is justified by the “extreme urgency” – now yes –, “ due to the migratory pressure in the Balearic Islands” (textual quotes from the award file).

It will not be easy for the radar to be operational this summer: the works have not yet begun and the execution period is six months. The island director of the State in Pitiüses, Raquel Guasch, is optimistic, because the installation does not present "special complexity". The radar will be placed at the Mola lighthouse, the highest point of Formentera's coastline, at about 140 meters. The first function will be to "save lives", according to the director; it will allow for very early detection of approaching boats to Pitiüses, even in adverse weather conditions. Information that the Maritime Rescue services will surely appreciate. It is also expected to have a deterrent effect, as the mafias will know that Formentera's coast is now being monitored. Raquel Guasch has remarked that an effort is being made to bring the captains of the rafts before Justice and that arrests are counted "in the dozens".

Meanwhile, at the Consell de Formentera, the pile of bills is growing. "The Consell does not have the financial muscle to cover the expenses of minors," admits the president of the institution, Òscar Portas. In May alone, 35 have arrived, and if they disembark in Formentera, it is this island council that must take care of them, even if they are later transferred to another island. Until now, the Consell was in charge of about 150 unaccompanied minors, but they fear that this figure will skyrocket if the trend continues. "We are in negotiations with the Government to receive an extraordinary contribution and face the accumulated expenses," said Portas.

The cost of unaccompanied minors exceeds 3 million euros, just in this 2026. The president of Formentera has reiterated his invitation to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, and to the Minister of Childhood and Youth, Sira Rego, to visit Formentera and learn about the situation firsthand. For her part, the island director, Raquel Guasch, said that the State is "prepared" and "perfectly represented" in the Balearic Islands by the Government Delegation.