Balearic Islands president Marga Prohens has called on Spain's central government to take a tougher approach to irregular migration, arguing that returns being carried out in Ceuta should also be possible in the Balearic Islands. She made the remarks on Tuesday, 20 October, during the opening of the Balearic Parliament's general policy debate, where she identified population growth, housing affordability and the islands' economic model as major challenges.

Prohens said the archipelago could not continue receiving irregular migrants without changes to the current approach. She also raised concerns about the pressure on services supporting unaccompanied migrant minors, claiming that the number in the Balearic Islands had exceeded 900.

Her comments bring migration policy back into focus as the regional government debates how to manage population growth and pressure on housing, public services and infrastructure.

Prohens Points to Returns from Ceuta

During her parliamentary address, Prohens referred to the recent return of migrants from Ceuta to Morocco as an example of measures she believes should also be possible in the Balearic Islands.

She argued that approaches previously considered unworkable were now being implemented in Ceuta and called for a halt to continued arrivals of people entering the archipelago irregularly.

The president also criticised what she described as a lack of support from the central government, saying the Balearic Islands could not continue shouldering the situation without a change in policy.

However, her remarks were a political demand rather than an announcement of a new return procedure for the Balearic Islands. The legal and operational arrangements used in Ceuta do not automatically apply to arrivals in the Balearics.

More Than 900 Unaccompanied Migrant Minors

Prohens also highlighted the situation involving unaccompanied migrant minors in the Balearic Islands.

She said the number exceeded 900, more than twice the ordinary capacity established by the Ministry of Children. She criticised the capacity figure as having been set unilaterally by the ministry.

The issue is particularly relevant to Ibiza and Formentera, where authorities have raised concerns about the resources required to accommodate and support minors arriving without parents or guardians.

The president's figures and characterisation of the islands' capacity were presented during her parliamentary speech. They should be understood as the figures and assessment she cited, rather than as an independently audited count in this report.

Population Growth, Housing and Public Services

Beyond migration, Prohens placed population growth at the centre of her assessment of the Balearic Islands' future.

She argued that continued growth was putting pressure on housing, public infrastructure and essential services. She also called for a change in the economic model, saying the islands should not depend on the continuous recruitment of professionals from outside the region.

Housing has become a particularly significant concern in Ibiza and Formentera, where high accommodation costs and limited availability affect residents and workers in sectors including healthcare, education and tourism.

Prohens linked her proposals to what she described as the need to reduce the so-called “pull effect” of irregular migration. Among the measures she highlighted were residency requirements for access to certain benefits, including social income support, emancipation assistance and public housing.

These proposals form part of the regional government's political position and do not mean that all the measures described have been newly introduced or that their effects have been independently established.

What Is Happening in Ceuta?

The comparison with Ceuta comes amid a dispute between the Spanish Government and the autonomous city's authorities over the handling of people who arrived irregularly in July 2026.

In a statement published on 20 October, the Spanish Government said more than 12,700 people had returned to Morocco from Ceuta between 10 August and 20 October. It said the returns had taken place through procedures that included voluntary returns and other legally processed cases.

The central government also stressed that returns, expulsions and applications for international protection must follow the applicable Spanish and European legal procedures, including individual assessments and the relevant safeguards.

The figures from Ceuta therefore provide context for Prohens's argument, but they do not demonstrate that the same measures can be transferred directly to the Balearic Islands. The legal basis, circumstances of arrival and procedures applicable to each case must be assessed under the relevant rules.

Migration Set to Remain a Political Issue in the Balearic Islands

Prohens's speech places irregular migration alongside housing and population growth as priorities for the regional government. Her call for the central government to curb arrivals and facilitate returns is likely to remain part of the political debate over the management of migration in the islands.

For Ibiza and Formentera, the discussion also touches on the capacity of local services to support unaccompanied minors and the wider pressure on accommodation and public infrastructure.

The debate now centres on what measures the central government and regional authorities can legally and practically implement, and how responsibilities for migration management and reception should be shared.