Overview

• 4,316 migrants reached the Balearics in 230 boats through mid-August, marking a 97.4% rise over the same period in 2024.
• Authorities rescued more than 600 people between a recent Monday and Tuesday and recovered 94 migrants from four vessels in a single Thursday operation.
• Rescued passengers have included Maghrebi, sub-Saharan and Asian nationals, with local services reporting acute resource constraints.
• Smugglers have shifted from Atlantic and Libya-based routes after clampdowns, redirecting crossings toward the Mediterranean corridor to the islands.
• Madrid has scheduled a visit by Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares to Algeria as regional leaders seek extra security and maritime resources and warn of a possible 11,608 arrivals by year end.