Balearic Islands to expand Son Tous facility amid rising migrant arrivals

Marga Prohens, President of the Balearic Islands, has announced the expansion of provisional facilities at the former Son Tous barracks in Mallorca. This move is intended to accommodate the rising number of unaccompanied minors arriving in the archipelago via small boats (pateras) crossing the channel from Algeria.

Currently, the four island councils of the Balearic Islands are caring for a total of 880 unaccompanied minors. The situation is particularly acute in Formentera, which has seen a high volume of arrivals and is facing significant humanitarian, economic, and social pressure on its local resources.

Prohens criticized the central Spanish government, stating that the administration has failed to address the migration crisis and has left the islands to manage the situation alone. She noted that while four million euros were allocated to Formentera last year to assist with these arrivals, the current scale of the crisis continues to strain regional resources.