The First Section of the Provincial Court of the Balearic Islands will hold this Thursday two trials against two Algerian nationals, accused of skippering boats with immigrants on board that arrived at the coasts of Ibiza and Formentera last May and June, respectively. The Prosecutor’s Office requests a six-year prison sentence for each of the accused for a crime against the rights of foreign citizens. In the first of the cases, the Public Prosecutor’s Office details that on May 27, 2024, the accused arrived in the waters of Ibiza in a five-meter long skiff together with seven other people, all of Algerian origin and without legal documentation in Spain. During the crossing, the passengers were adrift due to bad weather and lack of fuel, without food or safety elements. Finally, they were rescued by Salvamento Marítimo.
Patera with 12 people on board bound for Formentera
The second trial will begin at 11:30 am. The accused, a young Algerian man of 25 years, is pointed out by the prosecution as the alleged skipper of a boat that departed from Algeria in June with 12 passengers on board. According to the prosecution, all the occupants were of legal age, originally from Algeria and without proper documentation to enter Spain. The prosecution stresses that the crossing posed a serious danger to the migrants, given the precarious condition of the boat, the length of the journey and the absence of safety measures. Both defendants face sentences of six years in prison due to the seriousness of the facts, in a context of irregular immigration that entails high risks to the lives of those who embark on these journeys from North Africa to the Balearic Islands.
