This Thursday, the First Section of the Court of Palma holds the trial against a 29-year-old Algerian, accused of skippering a skiff that arrived at the beach of Ses Salines, in Ibiza, on February 19, 2024. The accused, who would have charged money to the crew members to take them from the coast of Tipasa (Algeria), faces six years in prison for a crime against the rights of foreign citizens. According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the boat was carrying nine immigrants, including minors, from Algeria and Morocco, none of whom had Spanish documentation. The crossing was carried out in precarious conditions, without training of the accused to pilot on the high seas and without the necessary safety elements, putting the lives of the crew members at risk.
Petition for expulsion from Spanish territory
The prosecution has requested that, if convicted, after serving two thirds of the sentence, the accused be expelled from Spain with a ban on returning to the country for a period of seven years. This trial is part of the authorities’ efforts to curb illegal human trafficking operations, which have intensified in recent months in the Balearic Islands. The routes from North Africa continue to pose a serious risk to both the migrants and the security forces tasked with intercepting them.
