The Balearic Islands are “at their limit”, the archipelago’s president has warned, as the holiday hotspot is being asked to accommodate more minor migrants who reached its shores unaccompanied.
The Spanish central government is considering the possibility of distributing the unaccompanied minors reaching the country among autonomous communities to provide relief to the areas welcoming the most migrants due to their locations – particularly the Canary Islands, near which most boats are intercepted.
But Balearics Government President Marga Prohens has argued that while her archipelago wants to show solidarity, it is difficult for the region to welcome more children who have fled their countries aboard dangerous dinghies or small boats.
The issue of accommodating unaccompanied minors cannot be resolved merely by distributing them and discussing numbers without setting in place any other measure, providing additional funds, or engaging in dialogue between the central government and the regions.
Ms Prohens warned that while the Balearic Islands comply with the law, they are “at their limit as the centres for minors are operating at 650 percent overcapacity”.
The president of the archipelago added the Balearic Islands have become recipients of irregular immigration and currently have “the worst record in terms of reception on the route from Algeria in the entire history of the Balearic Islands.”
Ms Prohens also called for recognition of the uniqueness of the Balearics and urged Madrid to “stop imposing and start listening”, adding that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez should convene a meeting of regional presidents to address the issue and seek a joint solution in the interest of both the regions and these minors in need of proper care.
Irregular immigration, she went on to claim, is “a national problem for the Government of Spain, which is trying to shift it onto the autonomous communities”.
The archipelago is currently responsible for a total of 306 unaccompanied minors, Ms Prohens said, who have been distributed across the islands already experiencing overcrowding.
Ms Prohens’ upset at Madrid came as six boats carrying 86 migrants reached the Balearics’ shores.
Most of them were intercepted in Formentera, while 24 were spotted near the uninhabited island of Cabrera.