Spain’s Balearic Islands are facing an unprecedented surge in migrant arrivals as smugglers shift their operations from Morocco to Algeria. In the past two days alone, 19 boats carrying around 360 people reached the Spanish archipelago, defying authorities’ efforts to curb the fastest-growing migration route into the European Union.
According to EU border agency Frontex, arrivals via the Western Mediterranean route—from Algeria to Spain—rose 27% in January-October 2025 compared to the same period last year, even as overall illegal entries into the EU fell 22%. Smugglers are exploiting perceived weaker controls in Algeria and using faster boats, with the Balearics as their main destination. Departures from Algeria now account for 75% of people using this route, up from 40% last year.
The surge has strained local authorities and facilities. Nearly 6,280 migrants arrived in the Balearics between January and October, a 66% increase from 2024. Authorities have been overwhelmed, storing abandoned boats and supplies—life jackets, water bottles, flares—after rescuing migrants from the 300-kilometer sea crossing. With more than 330 boats arriving since January, 2025 has already surpassed last year’s total.
The profile of migrants has also changed. In 2025, North Africans made up just 30% of arrivals, while 70% came from sub-Saharan Africa or further afield—a sharp contrast with 2023, when most arrivals were from North Africa. EU agreements with Mauritania and stricter monitoring elsewhere have pushed more migrants toward Algeria as a transit point. This has added pressure to the already stretched reception system, which was previously geared toward North African migrants.
In 2025, around 600,000 immigrants have arrived in Spain—adding to the 571,000 newcomers recorded in 2024. The unprecedented numbers prompted the Spanish government to declare a “state of migration emergency” on September 16th.
This allowed for faster administrative procedures and the release of nearly seven million euros to set up temporary reception facilities, including large tents in Ibiza and Formentera. Migrants are now typically sent to the mainland shortly after arrival, where they can apply for asylum or continue their journey.
Local officials have expressed serious concerns about the situation. President of the Balearic Islands, Marga Prohens, urged the Spanish government to better “protect our borders,” while migration experts say that the system collapsed because it was unprepared for such numbers.
Meanwhile, Frontex continues to support national authorities with over 3,800 officers safeguarding EU external borders.
