A patera that landed in Formentera.

A patera that landed in Formentera. | Redacción Ibiza

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma02/10/2019 15:54
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The acting national government delegate in the Balearics, Ramon Morey, says that an "exceptional situation" in respect of illegal immigration is affecting the islands and the southeast of the mainland.

Referring to a "phenomenon" that comes from Algeria, Morey explained yesterday that thirty boats with 345 illegal immigrants have arrived in the Balearics so far this year. Five more appeared yesterday: one in Majorca, the others in Ibiza or Formentera. A significant aspect, Morey stressed, was the fact by early August there had only been two illegal immigrants all year. The others have arrived since the fifth of that month. Three-quarters of them have already been returned to their countries of origin.

The delegate stressed that this form of illegal immigration does not only affect the Balearics. During September, 1,070 immigrants arrived in Alicante, Almeria or Murcia. There have been 600 in the past week, he added.

In 2018, 199 illegal immigrants on seventeen boats arrived in the Balearics. The year before, there were 277 on 23 boats.