The number of unaccompanied migrant minors under Council of Mallorca supervision has risen from 83 who arrived by small boats in 2022 to 170 so far this year.
In 2016 there were eleven minors. Over the years 2011 to 2015 there were never any more than four per year.
There is nothing like the migration crisis experienced in the Canaries, where some 6,000 minors have created such strains on local authorities that the Spanish government has arranged for distribution to other regions, but social services in Mallorca are concerned because there is a lack of adequate facilities. The Council's Institute of Social Affairs (IMAS) currently has 303 migrant minors under its supervision.
There are repercussions for the residential care service for minors born in Mallorca. Without an increase in budget and staff, the Council fears that the situation will overwhelm them if the Spanish government doesn't help financially. The president of IMAS, Guillermo Sánchez, estimates that the added cost of the ongoing arrival of minors will be some 20 million euros.
The Balearic government's minister for social affairs, Catalina Cirer, suggests that this figure could easily double to 40 million euros. "It's a situation that is getting out of hand. It's serious and could get worse." The cost to the Council is put at 86,000 euros per person per year.
After arriving in the Balearics, the National Police are responsible for identifying which migrants are minors in order to refer them to the IMAS. The institute sends them to a centre to begin their integration process.
In Spain, any minors who arrive illegally have the right of residence and the relevant administration must take charge of them until they are adults. During this transition, social services try to ensure that they integrate as much as possible, learn the language and undergo training with the aim of being able to get a job.