Overview
- Spanish authorities reported 19 boats carrying about 360 people arriving across the Balearic Islands over two days.
- Frontex says smugglers are moving operations from Morocco to Algeria where controls are perceived as looser, with the Balearics identified as the main target.
- Arrivals on the western Mediterranean route rose 27 percent from January to October year over year while overall EU entries fell 22 percent.
- Landings on the Balearic Islands increased 66 percent to 6,280 through October as Spain’s total fell 36 percent due largely to a drop on the Canary Islands route.
- Balearic leader Marga Prohens urged Madrid to strengthen border protection, and Spain’s Interior Ministry notes Algeria has accepted fewer returns since ties soured in 2022.