The Government Delegate in the Islands, Alfonso Rodríguez, is negotiating with the Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) to allocate spaces in the ports of Ibiza and Formentera for irregular immigrants arriving in the Pitiusas Islands by small boat. Rodríguez explained that 'modular' infrastructure would be installed in these spaces as a 'temporary solution'.
In Mallorca, the Government Delegation has already reached an agreement to open the doors of maritime station number 3 in Palma at night, so that these immigrants can wait there 'in decent conditions' for ferries to the mainland. These people arrived in small boats, but have entered the so-called 'humanitarian circuit' due to their vulnerable status. In other words, they are families or sub-Saharan immigrants who are eligible for centres run by the Red Cross on the mainland. The Red Cross is responsible for caring for these immigrants in the Balearic Islands and also pays for their tickets. Once they arrive at the port, Red Cross staff pick them up and transfer them to the various centres in the humanitarian network.
Rodríguez recalled that when these immigrants arrive on the shores of the Balearic Islands, they are picked up by Maritime Rescue and Civil Guard personnel and transferred to the National Police, which is responsible for processing their affiliation. ‘They are released,’ said the government delegate, ‘but with names and surnames.’ Those who have requested to be included in the vulnerable category are the ones who have to spend the night in the ports of the islands waiting for the ferries that connect the archipelago with the mainland.
The government delegate stressed that, even though they are in Spain illegally, ‘they remain free.’ He added that those who are not vulnerable must pay for their own passage if they do not want to stay in the Balearic Islands. However, he also indicated that ‘90%’ of these irregular immigrants prefer to continue ‘on their way’. When this is the case, it is the National Police themselves who transfer them to the ports.
The problem is that ferry schedules force these people to remain ‘on the streets’ for hours. That is why a solution has been sought so that, during the waiting time, they can be in a ‘dignified’ situation. In the designated areas, the Red Cross will be responsible for providing them with food, while the APB's security and cleaning services will take care of these tasks. ‘We need a structure in the port to provide a dignified welcome,’ said Rodríguez, ‘so that they do not have to spend the night on the streets’.