More than 6,600 migrants have reached Spain's Balearic Islands by small boat this year, a 34% increase on the popular holiday route, prompting furious local leaders to demand urgent EU-backed deportations.
According to official figures cited by the Majorca Daily Bulletin, 365 small boats carrying 6,642 migrants have arrived in the Balearics so far this year. The surge follows a record-breaking 2025, when 7,321 migrants arrived on 401 boats, a 24.5% increase on the previous year.
Islands become 'gateway for irregular immigration'
Local leaders warn that Majorca, Ibiza and Formentera are becoming the main "gateway for irregular immigration" into Europe. The rise comes despite illegal immigration falling across the rest of Europe.
In a dramatic 24-hour window on Tuesday (October 13), seven small boats carrying 101 migrants were intercepted off the archipelago. The final vessel of the day was caught late at night carrying 17 North Africans just two miles south of Ibiza, following earlier interceptions off Cabrera and Formentera.
Trafficking gangs shift operations
Human trafficking gangs are blamed for shifting operations from Morocco to Algeria, taking advantage of lighter coastal security and deploying faster boats to launch crossings directly into the islands. While many migrants originate from North Africa, increasing numbers are sub-Saharan and East African nationals using Algeria as a transit hub.
The relentless arrivals have left local reception services pushed to breaking point, igniting a political row between the islands and Spain's central government.
Political backlash and EU appeal
Balearic President Marga Prohens has launched a scathing attack on Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, warning that the islands face a "high-risk humanitarian scenario". She confronted EU officials, including Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica, demanding urgent European action and targeted funding.
Ms Prohens accused Mr Sánchez's administration of refusing to implement immediate deportation mechanisms used by other EU nations, claiming his government's policies, including plans for mass migrant amnesties, create a dangerous "pull factor". She insisted European nations must adopt swift return policies, warning that the route from Algeria to the Balearics has become the fastest-growing illegal migration route in Europe.
