Formentera recorded three separate migrant arrival operations between Thursday night and Friday morning, with 57 people of North African origin intercepted on the island or in waters nearby.

The operations took place over less than seven hours, from 23:15 on Thursday, September 24 to 06:09 on Friday, September 25, according to information provided by the Delegación del Gobierno in the Balearic Islands.

The incidents involved the Guardia Civil, Salvamento Marítimo and, in one operation, an aerial unit from Salvamento Marítimo.

18 people intercepted at Camí des Ram

The first operation took place at approximately 23:15 on Thursday.

Guardia Civil officers from the Formentera post and members of the Unidad de Seguridad Ciudadana de la Comandancia, or USECIC, intercepted 18 people of North African origin at Camí des Ram.

The group was located on land after arriving on the island.

The operation was the first of three incidents recorded during the night and early morning.

Another 18 located south of Formentera

At approximately 04:35 on Friday, a second group was located at sea around six nautical miles south of Formentera.

Eighteen people of North African origin were involved.

The operation included Guardia Civil officers from the Sant Josep post, Salvamento Marítimo and aerial resources from Salvamento Marítimo, including the Helimer helicopter.

Unlike the first operation, this group was located at sea and required the intervention of maritime rescue services.

21 more intercepted at Pilar de la Mola

The third operation took place shortly after 06:00.

At approximately 06:09, Guardia Civil officers intercepted another 21 people of North African origin on land in the Pilar de la Mola area.

The operation involved Guardia Civil personnel from Formentera, together with officers from the Sant Josep and Santa Eulària posts and USECIC.

With these 21 people, the number intercepted in the three overnight operations reached 57.

Part of a wider sequence of arrivals

The three incidents came after a particularly active period for migrant arrivals in the Pitiusas.

On Thursday, September 24 alone, several operations were carried out around Formentera. Earlier that day, 17 people were located near Es Caló de Sant Agustí, 14 at Els Arenals and 27 in the sea near s'Estufador. Two further operations later involved 24 and 17 people approximately 11 nautical miles southwest of Formentera.

There were also separate arrivals in Ibiza and Mallorca during the same period.

EFE reported that 99 people had already been intercepted in five arrivals involving Formentera during Thursday, while additional operations overnight and early Friday increased the overall figures further.

A concentrated period of arrivals

The sequence of operations illustrates how quickly several separate arrivals can occur around Formentera.

The people intercepted were reported by the authorities as being of North African origin. The official reports describe the operations in terms of interceptions and rescues and do not establish the circumstances of each individual journey beyond those details.

The 57 people involved in the three overnight operations should therefore be counted separately from the other groups intercepted around the island during the preceding day.

What happened next

The arrival of the three groups prompted further attention from the Guardia Civil and maritime rescue services as authorities continued responding to arrivals around Formentera.

The events of September 24 and 25 formed part of a wider sequence of maritime migration incidents affecting the Balearic Islands during the second half of September.

Formentera was particularly affected during this period, with multiple operations taking place both at sea and on land.

The figures underline the importance of distinguishing between individual operations when reporting the total number of people intercepted, as several separate arrivals occurred within a short period.