A popular Spanish holiday hotspot loved by Brits has been warned of people flocking in with “malicious intentions” amid an increase in migration. Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, warned that people with “potentially malicious intentions” could come to the Balearic Islands under the guise of being asylum seekers.
The agency warned that “smuggling groups have developed tactics to evade detection and ensure that migrant boats reach Spain”. It added: “This can allow individuals with potentially malicious intentions to mingle with irregular migrants, enter the EU undetected, and potentially engage in criminal activities.”
Frontex predicted an increase in migrant arrivals to the Balearics, particularly in the number of people coming from Algeria.
In terms of Europe as a whole, it warned of potential security threats from people “such as criminals, terrorists, saboteurs and intelligence agents”.
“These individuals take advantage of migration routes to enter European territories, further complicating border security operations,” it added.
The Spanish Government’s delegate in the Balearics, Alfonso Rodriguez, said migrants are checked by the National Police, where their identity documents are taken and verified to ensure they pose no danger.
The migration route from North Africa to the Balearics has shot up this year, according to interior ministry figures. As of August 15, 4,323 migrants had arrived on the islands, compared to 2,443 at the same date in 2024 – a 77% increase.
President of the Balearic government, Marga Prohens said the situation of illegal immigration in the Balearic Islands was “alarming”.
“The situation is getting worse every day and has no sign of a solution,” she said. “The Government of Spain has a serious problem when it is not able to protect its own borders.”
Spain has recently dictated that the islands must accept some migrant children rather than sending them back. Prohens said the holding camps were bursting and more than 1,000% over capacity.
She is asking the Spanish government to suspend its ruling as a precautionary measure and will launch an appeal in the Supreme Court.
“We will resort to all the means at our disposal to avoid the imposition of this distribution that we cannot assume in conditions of dignity and humanity,” she said.
