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This is the moment that a cruise ship sailing near the southern coast of Majorca rescued a small migrant boat with 19 people on board, including three children. While sailing in the waters near the Cabrera sub-archipelago - a group of 19 uninhabited islands and islets off the southern coast of Majorca - passengers aboard the MSC Splendida recorded videos on their phones as small boat migrants jumped into the sea to reach life jackets and were thrown around by strong waves before climbing up the cruise ship's ladder.
The footage was then shared on social media by an MSC fan account, accompanied by the caption: "Thank you MSC Splendida Crew". The Balearic Islands Government Delegation confirmed on Sunday (October 26) that the rescue operation by the Fantasia-class cruise ship took place after 4pm, 20 miles from Cabrera. The migrants were brought aboard the ship - capable of holding 3,900 passengers and 1,31 crew - and transferred to the port of Barcelona, where they will remain at the disposal of the relevant authorities and social services.
Between January 1 and September 30 this year, a total of 5,827 illegal migrants arrived in the Balearic Islands - 84% more than during the same period in 2024, according to a report on irregular immigration published by the Ministry of the Interior. 11,680 migrants arrived by sea to mainland Spain (5,853) and the Balearics (5,827) - 25.9% more than in the same period in 2024, when 9,278 arrived. They arrived in 743 boats, 13 more than last year.
In Ceuta and Melilla - two Spanish autonomous cities on the northern coast of Morocco - a total of 2,887 people entered irregularly by land, 34% more than in the same period last year. Additionally, six migrants arrived irregularly by sea in Ceuta, compared to 23 last year, and 25 in Melilla, compared to 21 in the same period in 2024.
Last month, officials in some of Majorca's most popular resorts slammed the Government's "failed immigration policy" after small boat arrivals have skyrocketed by 77% this year compared to 2024. Calvia Council, which oversees hotspots including Palmanova, Magaluf, Santa Ponsa and Illetas, said that a "small boat" is now arriving in Balearic waters every two hours.
"We have never seen a situation like this in the Balearics. The problem is getting more serious every year," said a council spokesperson. "The Council of Mallorca has demanded help from central government and even the European Union to protect local borders."
Meanwhile, in the Canary Islands, the beautiful island of El Hierro, which remains untouched by mass tourism, has become the main point of arrival for refugees and migrants arriving from West Africa. Dubbed "Lampedusa of the Atlantic", over 20,000 migrants arrived on the island in 2024. Only around 20 doctors operate on the island, making it difficult to take care of people who arrive after life-threatening journeys through the Atlantic. Many of those who manage to survive face dehydration, hypothermia and respiratory infections, often requiring intensive care.
A doctor told The Guardian: "This constant flow of migrants takes up a good part of our time to the detriment of the needs of the island's citizens, which is why we need another hospital quickly."
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