In the early hours of Sunday morning, December 29, a skiff with 18 people of North African origin arrived at the coast of Playa d’Estufadors, in Formentera. As reported by the Government Delegation in the Balearic Islands, the immigrants were in apparent good health, although four of them showed symptoms of hypothermia and were transferred to the Hospital de Formentera for medical attention. The Civil Guard was in charge of the intervention and the transfer of the immigrants to the temporary reception center, where they will be attended according to the established protocols.
This type of arrivals continues to be a recurrent phenomenon on the Balearic coasts, especially in Formentera, which this year has concentrated a large part of the interceptions of immigrants in the region.
A year marked by an increase in arrivals
According to recent figures, 2024 has become a record year for the arrival of small boats to the Balearic coasts, surpassing the figures of previous years. Formentera has been especially affected, concentrating almost half of the immigrants who have arrived in the community. These data reflect the immigration pressure in the Mediterranean and the need to coordinate efforts at regional and state level to manage this situation. Meanwhile, it is not ruled out that in the coming days new arrivals may be recorded, given the geographical proximity of the islands and the unstable situation in the immigration routes of the western Mediterranean. This latest incident underlines a problem that will continue to be a priority in the political and social agendas of the Balearic Islands in the new year.
