Mallorca Goes to Court: The Regional Government Sues Madrid Over Migration Plans

Confrontation with Madrid: The Balearic Islands Turn to the Court System

Late in the afternoon, as the wind off the Paseo Marítimo carried a breeze, the Balearic regional government announced that it would file a lawsuit before the Court of Appeal against decisions from Madrid. It concerns a dispute that has been escalating for months: who bears responsibility for unaccompanied minor migrants?

The regional government points to overcrowded reception facilities and describes a situation that is approaching the limit of what is manageable. In the administrative apparatus there are already two additional proceedings: one before the Constitutional Court, another before the Supreme Court. In short: they intend to pursue the dispute legally at all levels if necessary.

The Numbers That Are Troubling

Currently around 694 unaccompanied minors are being cared for on the Balearic Islands. Madrid allows an official state of emergency under its own rules only after capacity is exceeded by about a factor of three – specifically around 1,218 in care. Under the distribution mechanism, Mallorca is to take an additional 406 minors from the Canary Islands. The island's regional president, Marga Prohens (PP), has categorically rejected this and wants to block the transports.

Sometimes it feels like a bureaucratic boxing match: numbers go up and down, and out on the coast the weather often decides the fate of people faster than any paragraph.

New Boats – New Tensions

Parallel to the legal dispute, the situation practically intensifies: in recent days several boats have arrived according to authorities. Most recently, on a Tuesday, 62 people were rescued by the Guardia Civil and rescue services from three boats south of Cabrera. Since the start of the year, about 5,166 people have arrived on 278 boats; for comparison, last year the total was around 5,882.

At the port people talk about it; in cafés you hear the same questions: Will we have enough spaces? Who decides on age determinations? And who will take the responsibility when everything is full?

How Madrid Plans to Respond

The interior ministry apparently plans short-term solutions: in the ports of Palma, Ibiza and Formentera, temporary reception modules are to be erected – covering about 1,330 square meters, with space for around 140 people. The emergency budget is estimated at just under seven million euros. Goal: faster intake and onward transport to the mainland.

Whether that is enough remains open. Such modules are not a long-term answer to structural problems, as social workers and volunteers who work with the affected know.

A Local View

Yesterday I spoke with a caregiver at a reception center who has hardly slept for weeks. "We are trying to preserve human dignity," she said, "but capacities are limited." You can feel: the topic is politically charged, but mainly it has human dimensions.

The Balearic government's legal steps will now show whether the disputes are decided on paper or at sea. One thing is certain: Mallorca remains tense, and the mood in the harbors, cafes, and communities is nervous.