“The first thing they ask for is Wi-Fi”: this is what the stay of migrants in the port of Palma is like

Near the Baleària ferry terminal in the port of Palma, where thousands of tourists disembark in Mallorca each year, white tents with heavy police presence are visible at the entrance. These facilities house only adult male migrants arriving on the island's shore for 24, or sometimes 48, hours before they travel to the Spanish mainland. Minors go directly to Son Tous, and women with children go to Red Cross facilities. "There's no one here; everyone leaves very quickly," says a worker guiding the media through the different areas. Since these facilities opened in November 2015, 472 people have passed through Mallorca; 555 through the port of Ibiza; and 90 through Formentera.

Just inside the entrance, next to a small control booth, there's a sign (in Arabic, French, English, and Spanish) that stands out against the white background because it uses a different color for each language and prohibits smoking. To the left of Devora is the dining room, dominated by a chalkboard. In French, it says "Welcome," followed by the Wi-Fi password, "the first thing they ask for when they arrive," according to a staff member. At 11 p.m., the lights and internet are turned off, dinner is at 7 p.m., and afternoon tea at 7:30 a.m. Next to these rules written in black, there's a red square with all capital letters prohibiting smoking, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, and washing clothes in the showers. It also states that showers are limited to a maximum of 10 minutes. Despite the strict orders, the Spanish government delegate in the Canary Islands, Alfonso Rodríguez, considered that the availability of Wi-Fi and mobile phone chargers "improves dignity and offers better humanitarian care."

Having entered the Wi-Fi password and verified that it works, "we see many mobile phones with pictures of the families, with whom they are speaking via video calls," the worker recounts. Sometimes staff also answer the calls because the migrants want to show their families who is assisting them. The workers explain that some of them take photographs with the sign that reads 'Welcome to Palma who is standing right in front of the tents to notify family members that they have arrived in Spain. Another worker explains that, despite the arduous journey and the poor conditions they have endured in their home countries, the men "arrive happy." He says that many of the new arrivals have university degrees and are from upper-middle-class backgrounds. He adds that the migrants "are clear that they don't want to stay in Mallorca" because they say "there's too much water," he says, letting out a laugh.

He tells this alongside a colleague who admits that they don't ask the men for much personal information because otherwise they go home "devastated." "Sometimes I think: if this goes on much longer, I'm going to cry," he says. There are usually six workers, but on peak days, such as two occasions in recent months when they have assisted up to 102 migrants, reinforcements arrive.

They are standing in front of a tent that shelters the Administration's computers and some of the food served cold. Beyond this is a long corridor with signs indicating the rooms and portable toilets. The rooms, which can accommodate up to 80 and 56 people respectively, have a strong odor. The bunk beds are equipped with antiseptic mattresses and pillows "for better disinfection," explained one worker. The migrants have hardly any space to put their belongings. There is only a small, four-shelf bookcase at the end of each bunk bed corridor.

The showers are opposite the portable toilets. They are inside a small but tiled prefabricated building. It is the room that most resembles a real house. It has two sinks with mirrors, and the showers have trays and curtains. Even so, after showering, there is not much space to get dressed or to maintain any privacy.

The government is not abandoning the Balearic Islands

The facilities at the ports of Palma, Ibiza, and Formentera were built "thanks to the declaration of a migration emergency in the Balearic Islands by the Secretary of State for Migration in September, which entailed an investment of 6.7 million euros," as recalled by the Spanish government delegate in the Islands, Alfonso Rodríguez. The delegate expressed his gratitude for the collaboration of all the actors involved in assisting migrants, such as the National Police, the Civil Guard, Maritime Rescue, and the Red Cross, all of whom were represented during Friday's visit to the port of Palma. He also highlighted the role of the Ministries of the Interior and Migration and the provision of space by the Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB). "Contrary to what is often said too casually—that the government is abandoning the Balearic Islands in its work with the migration flow—the government is dedicating a multitude of resources to ensure the dignified reception of migrants in transit," he asserted.

Solution to some "terrible" conditions

Valentina Milano, Professor of International Law at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) and member of the management team of the Observatory of Migration in the Mediterranean, who was present during the visit, expressed her satisfaction with the port facilities. She noted that these facilities come after months of advocacy and requests from organizations and groups working with migrants. Until now, the situation for migrants waiting to board a ferry to the Spanish mainland was "terrible." "They were without any protection or care, sleeping in unacceptable temperatures," she recalled. Milano emphasized the importance of coordination among all actors involved in assisting migrants and stressed the need for "more resources to provide higher-quality care."