Ibiza and Formentera recorded 89 migrant arrivals or interceptions on Wednesday, September 16, as a major wave of boat arrivals affected the Balearic Islands.

The day's operations involved 10 boats across the archipelago, with 151 people intercepted or rescued in total, according to information from the Delegation of the Government in the Balearic Islands. Four of the boats were recorded in Formentera, two in Ibiza, three in Mallorca and one in waters near Cabrera.

53 People Arrive in Ibiza and Formentera in the Early Morning

The first wave in the Pitiusas brought 53 people to Ibiza and Formentera between the early hours of the morning and 8am.

In Formentera, 12 people were intercepted at around 4am in Es Copinar. At 8am, another 15 people were located in the Es Caló area.

On Ibiza, 20 people were intercepted at around 5:35am at the Botafoc breakwater in the Port of Ibiza. Shortly afterwards, at approximately 6:40am, another six people were rescued along the coastline of Platja d'en Bossa.

The people involved were reported as being of Maghrebi origin.

Further Arrivals in Formentera

The operations continued later in the morning.

At approximately 9:09am, 19 people were intercepted in the La Mola area of Formentera. At around 1:30pm, another 17 people were intercepted in the s'Estufador area.

Including the earlier operations, the reported total for Formentera was therefore 63 people across four boats.

Together with the 26 people recorded in Ibiza, the Pitiusas total reached 89.

151 People Intercepted Across the Balearic Islands

The arrivals in Ibiza and Formentera formed part of a wider sequence of operations across the Balearic Islands.

The day's total reached 151 people aboard 10 boats.

In addition to the 89 people recorded in the Pitiusas, 55 people were involved in operations in Mallorca and seven were rescued in waters south of Cabrera.

The Mallorca operations included an interception of 18 people at Cala Galiota in Colònia de Sant Jordi, nine people at Cala Santanyí and a later operation involving 28 people approximately 10 miles southeast of Santanyí.

Seven people were also rescued at sea approximately three nautical miles south of Cabrera.

Guardia Civil and Maritime Services Involved

Several agencies took part in the operations, including the Guardia Civil, its Maritime Service and the relevant local police forces.

In Ibiza, the Authority of the Port of Ibiza was involved in the interception at the Botafoc breakwater, while the Guardia Civil was involved in the operation at Platja d'en Bossa.

In Formentera, Guardia Civil units from the island and the provincial Maritime Service participated in the operations.

Salvamento Marítimo also took part in the rescue operation south of Cabrera.

5,778 People Recorded So Far in 2026

The latest figures put the number of people who have arrived in the Balearic Islands by boat during 2026 at 5,778, across 313 boats.

The figure is based on data compiled from information provided by the Ministry of the Interior and the Delegation of the Government in the Balearic Islands.

For comparison, 7,321 people arrived aboard 401 boats during the whole of 2025.

A Rapidly Changing Situation

The figures from September 16 illustrate how quickly the reported totals can change during a day of multiple maritime operations.

The initial morning report from Ibiza and Formentera counted 53 people across four boats. Further operations in Formentera and elsewhere in the Balearics subsequently increased the day's total to 151 people across 10 boats.

For Ibiza and Formentera specifically, the individual operations reported during the day amounted to 89 people.

The figures concern people intercepted or rescued during the reported operations and should not be interpreted as establishing the circumstances of each individual journey beyond what authorities have officially reported.