Formentera has recorded 338 people arriving or being intercepted in connection with irregular migrant boats in less than 72 hours, as a sustained series of maritime arrivals continued across the island from Tuesday through the early hours of Friday.

The figure covers the period from 6:17am on Tuesday, September 22, to 6:09am on Friday, September 25, according to figures from the Government Delegation in the Balearic Islands.

Across those three days, the number of people recorded in Formentera was 71 on Tuesday, 111 on Wednesday, 117 on Thursday and a further 39 during the first hours of Friday. The incidents involved at least 20 boats or separate interventions.

117 people recorded on Thursday

Thursday was the busiest of the four periods covered, with 117 people recorded in six separate interventions.

The first incidents occurred early in the morning.

At around 6:15am, the Guardia Civil rescued 17 people of Maghrebi origin at sea near Es Caló de Sant Agustí. At around 8:00am, another 14 people of Maghrebi origin were rescued at Es Arenals.

At approximately 9:03am, 27 people of sub-Saharan origin were rescued at sea near S'Estufador.

Further rescues off the island

The response continued into the afternoon.

At around 5:15pm, Salvamento Marítimo and the Guardia Civil rescued 24 people approximately 11 nautical miles southwest of Formentera. Around 30 minutes later, another 17 people were rescued in the same general area.

All 41 people from those two operations were reported to be of Maghrebi origin.

Later, at around 11:15pm, the Guardia Civil intercepted 18 people on land in the Camí des Ram area of Formentera.

The day's total therefore reached 117 people across six interventions.

Friday began with another 39 people

The arrivals continued into Friday morning.

At around 4:35am, the Guardia Civil and Salvamento Marítimo rescued 18 people of Maghrebi origin from a boat approximately six nautical miles south of Formentera. A Helimer helicopter also took part in the operation.

At around 6:09am, officers intercepted another 21 people on land at El Pilar de la Mola.

These two interventions brought the Formentera total to 39 during the first hours of Friday.

Day-by-day figures

The figures reported for Formentera during the period are:

• Tuesday, September 22: 71 people in five interventions

• Wednesday, September 23: 111 people in seven interventions

• Thursday, September 24: 117 people in six interventions

• Friday, September 25, up to 6:09am: 39 people in two interventions

That gives a total of 338 people across 20 interventions.

Ibiza also records an arrival

The increase has not been limited to Formentera.

On Wednesday, 17 people were intercepted in the Ses Salines area of Ibiza. This was the first and, at the time of the latest figures, the only irregular migrant boat arrival recorded on Ibiza during this particular wave.

Combining those 17 people with the 338 recorded in Formentera gives 355 people across the Pitiusas from Tuesday through the first hours of Friday.

At least 455 people across the Balearics

The wider increase has also affected other parts of the Balearic Islands.

The breakdown covering the same period records 100 people in Mallorca and Cabrera, in addition to the 338 in Formentera and 17 in Ibiza.

That brings the Balearic total to at least 455 people from Tuesday through the early hours of Friday.

The figures are based on the interventions reported by the Government Delegation and refer to people located, rescued or intercepted in connection with irregular maritime crossings.

A continuing route between Algeria and the Balearics

The latest arrivals come amid a broader increase in irregular maritime migration to the Balearic Islands.

The Balearic Government said in July that 11,055 people had arrived in 606 irregular boats between January 1, 2025 and July 24, 2026, with Formentera accounting for 1,857 people in 118 boats during 2026 up to that point. The regional government described the Algeria-Balearic route as having become a structural migration route.

Those figures cover a much longer period and should not be directly added to the latest September figures without an updated official cumulative dataset.

Authorities continue maritime operations

The latest operations have involved the Guardia Civil, Salvamento Marítimo and, in some cases, aerial resources.

Formentera has also received support from Guardia Civil officers normally based in Ibiza, including personnel from the main posts in Sant Antoni, Sant Josep and Santa Eulària, as part of the response to the increased number of arrivals.

The Government Delegation has not provided a health assessment for all of the people involved in the Thursday and Friday operations.

The latest figures therefore represent a rapidly changing situation, with further arrivals possible after the 6:09am Friday cut-off used for the 338-person total.