The Professional Association Justice for the Civil Guard (Jucil) has requested the Government to create a fixed base of the Maritime Service in Formentera. The request responds to the increase in the migratory flow on the route between Algeria and Formentera, which so far this year has brought to the island more than 2,000 migrants, 40% of the total that has reached the Balearic Islands in 2024. Jucil’s communication secretary, Agustín Leal, has denounced that the 28 agents currently operating on the island are overwhelmed, managing large groups of people in makeshift port facilities before their transfer to Ibiza. According to Leal, this represents poor management, putting migrants, residents and the agents themselves at risk.
A growing danger on the Algeria-Formentera route
Jucil highlights that the mafias operating on this route are acting with greater brazenness and violence. According to the association, these organizations have begun to reuse the pateras, consolidating a migratory route that increases the frequency of arrivals and raises the risks in surveillance and rescue operations. In addition, according to Radio Ibiza, Leal pointed out that the Guardia Civil agents in Ibiza are also affected, as they must abandon their citizen security duties to take charge of migration management, aggravating the situation in the entire region.
Claims to improve the situation
Jucil has insisted on the urgency of reinforcing personnel on Formentera and providing the island with a permanent maritime base. According to the association, this measure would improve surveillance, ensure the safety of all those involved and relieve the pressure on agents. The association has also requested that economic incentives be offered to make vacancies in the Balearic Islands more attractive to agents, pointing out that insularity and difficulties in finding housing discourage the transfer of personnel to these islands.
