The migration route to the Balearic Islands will leave at least 63 dead in 2025
The Spanish government delegate, Alfonso Rodríguez, acknowledges the confirmed victims, but maintains that it is impossible to know how many people actually die on the journey from North Africa.
PalmThe Spanish government's delegate in the Balearic Islands, Alfonso Rodríguez, stated that the central government cannot confirm the overall figures released by the organization Caminando Fronteras regarding mortality on the migration route from North Africa to the Balearic Islands, although he affirmed that he "respects" them. In any case, he did confirm the deaths of 63 people on this route during 2025.
Rodríguez made these statements during the year-end press conference, after Walking Borders It was reported this Monday that 1,037 people would have died trying to reach the Balearic coast throughout 2025. Initially, the delegate referred to the organization's report, but when asked about the death toll, he clarified that the Spanish government can only confirm the bodies recovered. "We don't know how many boats actually leave Algeria," he admitted, according to Europa Press. He explained that emergency services often receive reports from relatives or acquaintances of migrants days after the boats depart, at which point search operations are activated, with the participation of Maritime Rescue or Frontex, which has been operating in the area since February of this year. Rodríguez described migration as a "tragedy in which many lives are lost," driven by "mafias that must be combated" and involving people seeking a dignified future that they cannot find in countries like Sudan, Somalia, or Mali. During her speech, she emphasized that arrivals to the Balearic Islands in 2025 increased by 24.5% compared to 2024, reaching approximately 7,300 migrants, with a "notable increase" in vulnerable profiles. This situation prompted the declaration of a state of emergency by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. Gateway
The delegate also sought to refute the notion that the Balearic Islands are the "main entry point" for migrants in Spain or Europe, noting that this year more than 17,500 people have arrived in the Canary Islands, some 63,000 in Italy, and nearly 18,000 in Crete. In this context, he highlighted that €6.7 million has been approved for 2025 for new reception facilities for migrants in transit at the ports of Palma and Ibiza, as well as for the police custody module in La Savina, Formentera, in addition to the reinforcement of police and Maritime Rescue personnel. Among the measures adopted, he emphasized the addition of the ocean patrol vessel. Duke of AhumadaThe largest and most advanced vessel in the history of the Civil Guard, as well as the improvement of surveillance and detection systems thanks to an urgent investment of 3.3 million euros from the Ministry of the Interior. Rodríguez praised the "intense and professional" work of the security forces, Maritime Rescue, the Red Cross, and collaborating entities, which, he said, have ensured dignified treatment for people fleeing extreme personal situations. The migratory pressure has led the Ministry of the Interior to extend the extraordinary reinforcement of the Civil Guard and the National Police in the Balearic Islands until the end of October. Therefore, he insisted that "it cannot be said" that the State is abandoning the Balearic Islands in the face of this challenge.
Regarding the recent visit of Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska to Algeria, Rodríguez avoided directly attributing a possible reduction in arrivals to him, and reiterated that migration is a "volatile" phenomenon with many contributing factors. However, he expressed his confidence that the negotiations would improve cooperation in combating smuggling networks and move towards "safe and circular" migration.
"Decent" facilities in Son Tous
Finally, when asked about the declaration of the remodeling of the former Son Tous barracks to house minors as a project of regional interest, Rodríguez explained that the national government has contributed nearly seven million euros for their care, with the aim of guaranteeing their social and educational integration. Despite admitting that he doesn't know exactly what the reception units will be like, he expressed confidence that they will be "dignified, stable, and with a real capacity for integration," in accordance with the needs of the minors.