Migrant arrivals in Spain's Balearics surge as smugglers switch routes

By Joan Faus

BARCELONA (Reuters) -Nineteen boats carrying around 360 people reached Spain's Balearic Islands in the past two days, the latest surge in arrivals defying attempts by authorities to curb the fastest-growing migratory route into the European Union.

Arrivals via the Western Mediterranean route - primarily boats departing Algeria for Spain - rose 27% in January-October compared with the same period last year, the steepest increase among routes, even as overall arrivals to the EU fell 22%, according to data from EU border agency Frontex.

Smugglers are switching their operations to Algeria from Morocco over perceived less stringent controls and are using faster boats, with the Balearics their main destination, Frontex spokesperson Chris Borowski said.

Departures from Algeria now account for 75% of people using the Western Mediterranean route, while a year ago it was 40%, behind Morocco.

"We are certainly seeing a shift towards Algeria being a more active transit country and country of origin for many," Borowski said.

The situation has been exacerbated by a breakdown in relations between Spain and Algeria since 2022, when Madrid angered Algiers by aligning with Morocco's position on the disputed Western Sahara territory.

MEETING TO IMPROVE RELATIONS BETWEEN SPAIN AND ALGERIA

Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska last month met with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune who agreed to work on improving the deportation of irregular Algerian migrants in Spain and fight against smugglers.

Algeria has cut the number of deportations it accepts since 2022, a Spanish Interior Ministry spokesperson said.

The surge is causing concern in the Balearics, with regional leader Marga Prohens calling on the Spanish government to better "protect our borders".

Irregular arrivals to the Balearics rose 66% year-to-date until October to 6,280 people, according to Spanish official data. Meanwhile, overall arrivals to Spain were down 36% year-on-year mainly due to decreasing flows to the Canary Islands, located off West Africa.

Data shows migrants from sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly opting to use the Western Mediterranean route. They now account for more than half of arrivals in the Balearics compared to a third last year, according to Spanish government representative in the archipelago, Alfonso Rodriguez.

(Reporting by Joan Faus; editing by Charlie Devereux and Ed Osmond)