The Spanish Popular Party (PP) has held Pedro Sánchez’s government responsible for the worsening migration crisis in the Balearic Islands, arguing that Algeria is the primary source of the recent waves of migrants due to what it described as a “lack of cooperation” stemming from Madrid’s stance on the Moroccan Sahara issue.
According to the unofficial Spanish news agency Europa Press, José Vicente Marí Bosó, the PP deputy for the Balearic Islands and spokesperson for the party’s parliamentary group, said on Thursday that migrant flows to the archipelago have increased at an unprecedented rate in recent weeks, reflecting the Spanish government’s failure to secure maritime borders.
The PP official added that statements made by Sánchez’s government delegate in the Balearic Islands, Alfonso Rodríguez, on the migration issue “encouraged the arrival of boats” from Algerian coasts, which he described as having a negative impact on efforts to curb human smuggling.
He further noted that the current crisis is not the result of a single factor, but a cumulative outcome of Spanish government policies that, in his view, favored supporting Morocco on the Sahara issue over maintaining cooperation with Algeria, leading to the “escalation of migrant flows” from Algerian coasts.
The Popular Party pointed out that this situation has created unprecedented pressure on infrastructure in the Balearic Islands, including migrant reception centers, and emphasized that the solution starts with recognizing Algeria’s role as a key partner in curbing irregular migration.
Marí Bosó called on the Spanish government to act at the European level by involving the European Union and Frontex to coordinate border monitoring and combat smuggling networks before boats depart, stressing that temporary or makeshift solutions, such as provisional centers or distributing unaccompanied minors across regions, are insufficient. He added that bilateral security agreements with Algeria are necessary to address the problem at its source.
In recent weeks, the Balearic Islands have faced significant migration pressure due to the arrival of numerous irregular migrant boats departing from Algerian coasts, particularly amid Algeria’s lack of intervention to curb this phenomenon along its shores.
The Popular Party, Spain’s largest opposition party, has used this issue to criticize Pedro Sánchez’s government, holding it accountable for what it described as “inaction” in responding to migrant flows to the Balearic Islands, while emphasizing that Algeria remains the main source of these waves and calling for urgent action at the European level.
