A total of 17 migrants were intercepted last night aboard a dinghy in the waters of Ibiza, in an operation carried out at 11:40 PM, two miles south of the island, in the southern area of the Pitiusan island, as reported this Wednesday by the Government Delegation in the Balearic Islands.
The operation is part of the coordinated operations to prevent irregular immigration in the area, and involved personnel from Salvamento Marítimo and agents of the Guardia Civil from the Main Post of Sant Josep de Sa Talaia, who worked together to locate the vessel and immediately attend to its occupants.
Seven dinghies in a single day
With this latest rescue, there are now seven boats that have arrived in the Balearic Islands during Tuesday, after another six dinghies reached the archipelago throughout the day with 84 migrants on board, at points located in Cabrera, Ibiza, and Formentera, and to which were added 84 irregular citizens who arrived during that same day in different localities of the archipelago, both at sea and on land.
In total, the interventions recorded during the day raise to 101 the number of people rescued in Balearic waters, in a context marked by permanent vigilance in the western Mediterranean and by the immediate response of emergency services to this type of precarious crossings.
Year-end balance and comparison with 2025
Based on information provided by the Ministry of Interior and the Government Delegation in the Balearic Islands, so far this year 365 dinghies with 6,642 migrants have arrived in the archipelago.
In 2025, the islands registered 401 boats and 7,321 people, a figure that represented 24.5% more migrants and nearly 15% more dinghies than in 2024.
Control and assistance operations
The detection and rescue of these vessels are part of the preventive and immediate action measures deployed to control the irregular arrival of migrants in the western Mediterranean, and cooperation between security forces and maritime services is essential for efficient management of these episodes.
These operations require constant vigilance and a rapid response to the absence of safe navigation conditions for these precarious vessels, which transport people in vulnerable situations, all with the aim of ensuring respect for the rights of the intercepted individuals.