In the first half of 2025, Spain faced an unprecedented influx of migrants from Algeria. On the Balearic Islands and the mainland, the number of Algerian arrivals was not just record-breaking—it exceeded the combined total of all other nationalities. Moroccans, who until recently led in border crossings, are now outnumbered by Algerians sevenfold.
Official data on migrants’ countries of origin are not published on government portals to avoid straining relations with neighboring Maghreb countries. However, internal documents from European agencies provide insight into the scale of the phenomenon. From January to July, more than four thousand Algerians arrived on the Spanish coast and the Balearic Islands. By comparison, just over a thousand Somalis and fewer than six hundred Moroccans arrived. During the same period, four times fewer Algerians landed in Italy than in Spain.
Some unexpected nationalities have also been identified among the arrivals, including citizens of Bangladesh and Pakistan, though their numbers remain small. August statistics are not yet available, but it is already clear that seasonal records have been broken. Over 5,500 people—mostly Algerians—landed on the Balearic Islands alone this summer in nearly three hundred boats. This is a 70% increase compared to last year. Only a third of the captains of these vessels have been detained. Dozens of deaths and disappearances have been reported.
Spanish authorities are preparing for the autumn peak in migration. Police units on the islands have been reinforced, and the government has allocated additional funds for humanitarian aid. In the middle of the month, a state of emergency was declared, allowing nearly seven million euros to be quickly directed to support new arrivals. However, the Balearic Islands’ request to be excluded from the distribution of unaccompanied minor migrants arriving via the Canary Islands and Ceuta was not granted. Currently, around seven hundred children and teenagers from other countries are in care on the islands. Local authorities are contesting this decision in the Supreme Court.
Statistics show that Morocco is making efforts to curb illegal migration, with the exception of the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. In these cities, the number of border crossings by swimming has increased by a quarter, with most migrants being Moroccan, followed by Algerians.
The causes of the sharp increase in Algerian migration are varied. First, Italy has significantly reduced the number of arrivals on its shores over the past year, prompting part of the migration flow to shift toward Spain. Second, political instability has intensified within Algeria itself, leading to the emergence of new illegal departure channels. Recent events in the Algerian capital, tied to the escape of a high-ranking general, have only exacerbated the situation. Young people see no prospects and are leaving en masse, inspired by success stories on social media and popular videos about crossing the sea.
Algerian authorities prefer not to comment on the situation, except for the military, who called the recent incident involving teenagers stealing a boat to Ibiza exaggerated and isolated. However, the reality of the past few months tells a different story: the migration crisis is intensifying, and Spain is being forced to seek new solutions to protect its borders and assist those who have found themselves on its territory.
