Europe’s Next Hotspot? Balearics Reel From Migrant Surge
16th August 2025
More than 600 migrants landed in Spain’s Balearic Islands in just two days, the largest influx the holiday archipelago has ever seen.
Police and locals say the Mediterranean archipelago has become Europe’s newest “back door” for illegal immigration, as smuggling gangs shift away from the Canary Islands and Italy. ABC reports that packed boats, some carrying Algerians, and others loaded with sub-Saharan Africans and Asians, who pay up to €14,000 for the trip, are landing on Mallorca, Formentera, and Cabrera almost daily.
The sudden explosion is no accident. Security officials blame the collapse of relations with Algeria, furious at Madrid’s flip towards Morocco in the Western Sahara dispute. Once a reliable partner, Algiers is now accused of looking the other way. “They have no incentive to stop the boats,” one Spanish officer admitted.