Two popular Spanish holiday destinations are preparing to house asylum seekers in hotels, following the UK’s example. Some 4,700 migrants came into the Balearic Islands since January, an unprecedented spike. Now the Spanish Government has allocated funds for housing migrants in the Balearics to be used in exceptional circumstances only. The budget until the end of 2025 is 6.7million euros (£5.8m).
The funding will be used to create longer-term care facilities in the Port of Palma manned by translators and security guards. Extra cash will flow towards ferrying migrants to and from the mainland covered by the ministry’s human aid programme. Hotels could also be used under special circumstances, such as housing entire families or women fleeing violence, Majorca Daily Bulletin has reported.
Potential hotels have already been identified for use, according to Madrid’s Balearic delegate. The hotels will include medical units, legal advisors, a Red Cross work area, an area to care for new arrivals, an infirmary, an overnight stay and dining halls.
The Balearic Government has in the meantime filed an appeal with the Supreme Court in Madrid against the distribution of unaccompanied migrant minors to the Balearics due to lack of enabling budget for such an emergency measure. National Police inspector Manuel Pavón advocates for the involvement of the Frontex European Border and Coast Guard Agency in the situation to interview people who arrive and provide resources.
The Balearics have seen a 77% increase in the number of migrants arriving, whereas in the Canaries there was a 46% decrease. Pavón accused the Spanish Government’s delegate, Alfonso Rodríguez, of lying when he saying that checks on migrants are “exhaustive”.
He said: “Perhaps he’s forgotten that I’m a police officer; he can lie to society, but not to me. Every time waves of boats arrive, the police unions complain that they don’t have the resources and that people aren’t monitored. We must recognise that we don’t know who arrives, where they’re going, or what they’ve done; we have no data, and the police are overwhelmed.”
