Migrant boats intercepted around the Balearic Islands pose a dilemma to port authorities, a report suggests.
According to Spanish media outlet OK Diario, fifty-four vessels were seized in the seas around the popular islands in 2024.
The boats are filled with life jackets, coats, blankets and fuel drums, all of which must be destroyed as they fail European Union regulations.
Training schools will take engines from some of the boats, while others will be sold off, as port officials try not to waste anything.
Port manager Kiko Villalonga told the Spanish publication the authorities try not to destroy a lot.
In an interview translated from Spanish to English by the Express, Mr Villalonga said the migrant boats that arrive don’t meet EU safety standards, so specialist firms usually destroy them. He explained many of the vessels are made of fibreglass, which is highly polluting.
He said the bloc banned the sale of two-stroke engines years ago, so the port authorities pass them on to nautical training schools.
Mr Villalonga said two six-metre-long fibreglass vessels and five engines were donated to such schools last year.
Spain is believed to have become a favoured route for people smugglers. Last year, 63,970 people made perilous crossings to Spanish territory, with the majority arriving in the Canary Islands.
Marga Prohens, leader of the Balearic government, has warned of an increasing number of arrivals from Algeria, many of whom she said were unaccompanied minors.
The Spanish government is reportedly viewed by people smugglers as a soft touch, according to The Spectator magazine.
This compares to Italy under Giorgia Meloni, whose hardline approach saw irregular arrivals in the country drop by 60% last year.
Meanwhile, 400 migrants have arrived in the UK this year after the busiest day for Channel crossings since the start of 2025.
Home Office figures show 260 people journeyed in five boats on Monday – the third day of crossings in January.
The latest UK arrivals take the provisional total for the year to 388.
It comes just days after the British Government confirmed the first death of the year of a migrant trying to reach the UK from France.
The French coastguard said 35 people were rescued in the Channel overnight last Friday. According to media reports, a Syrian man was crushed by other people on a leaky dinghy.
