Spanish Coast Guard helicopters and rescue vessels are combing waters 14 miles south of Formentera after two migrants disappeared while attempting to swim to shore from a small boat on Saturday night. Thirteen other Maghrebi nationals were rescued; three additional swimmers were recovered alive. The Balearic Islands have received over 3,100 irregular arrivals by small boat so far this year, according to Interior Ministry figures. Maritime arrivals put pressure on local emergency services and complicate Spain’s new EU Pact screening obligations, which require biometric registration within hours of interception. For employers with foreign staff in the region, the incident underscores heightened patrol activity and potential ferry disruptions when SAR operations close shipping lanes. Yachting companies report that temporary exclusion zones are common near rescue sites. Human-rights groups call for more legal pathways—such as Spain’s seasonal-work quotas and the recently expanded humanitarian visa—for North Africans to reduce perilous crossings.
Source: elDiario.es – Illes Balears
