Migration crisis in Mallorca: Balearic Islands call for rapid EU aid

The islands under pressure — a plea for help from Palma

It's not just a statistic to set aside. Since the start of the year, hundreds of boats have arrived at Mallorca's coasts, totaling around 6,030 people — spread across about 327 landings. For a region with limited resources, this is noticeable: overcrowded reception facilities, full youth homes, and municipalities that must organize beds and meals at short notice.

What the government is demanding

The president of the Balearic government has urged Brussels for support. It concerns two things: more staff at the borders and help in accommodating vulnerable people, especially unaccompanied minors. The demand to the EU is clear: concrete steps, not just words.

More precisely, the island representations are seeking increased deployments of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, additional air and sea surveillance, and more transparent information flows — i.e., access to flight and maritime operation logs, so arrivals can be coordinated more quickly. On the ground I often hear: “We need planning certainty, not weekend surprises.”

The numbers and everyday life

The development is rapid: The route between North Africa and the Balearics has recently shown clear growth — in some months almost double-digit increases compared to the previous year. Also notable is the change in origin countries: while in the past mainly people from the Maghreb came, now many refugees come from countries south of the Sahara.

In Portixol volunteers say they lay out blankets at night on the beach and in the morning refill thermos flasks with coffee. In Cala Mayor blankets and diapers pile up because arrivals are often unpredictable. This is not an abstract crisis — it is work late into the night for volunteers and social services.

Madrid, Brussels and the next steps

The central government emphasizes that Frontex is already more active in the western Mediterranean — including air surveillance. The Balearics, however, demand more clarity about what exactly has been done and where help is still lacking. It also concerns finances: city and island councils say they do not have the necessary funds to adequately house unaccompanied minors.

Realistically, there will be no quick, easy solution. The situation requires coordination: clear responsibilities, more personnel on land and at sea, and above all a network that stretches from Palma to Madrid and Brussels. Otherwise, as local representatives warn, a social and humanitarian problem will threaten that goes beyond individual arrivals.

By the way: If you walk along the coast, you see the echo of this debate right beside the promenade cafe — volunteers, tired but determined. Conversations are held, lists are drawn up, transport organized. A slice of everyday life that you would hardly see at an EU conference.