Madrid, Jun. 6, (dpa/GNA) - The Spanish Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea are increasingly becoming a destination for refugees arriving by boat from Africa.
On Wednesday, six boats with a total of at least 113 migrants on board arrived on Mallorca and Formentera within a few hours of each other, the Guardia Civil police unit announced in Mallorca’s capital Palma.
The majority are young men, mainly from North African countries, it said. They are all doing well under the circumstances, police said.
In 2021 – a record year - 164 boats with a total of 2,402 migrants arrived on the Balearic Islands, according to official figures. This represents an increase of 62% compared to 2020. Compared to 2019, the increase was almost 500%.
Police said they expected many arrivals in the coming months and that authorities had to be prepared and provide reception centres with sufficient capacity, the newspaper ABC reported.
In summer, relatively calm seas and warm temperatures make the dangerous crossings for those seeking a new life in Europe much easier than in winter.
More than 20,000 people have perished trying to cross the Mediterranean since 2014, according to UN figures.
GNA