More than 100 illegal immigrants crossed the short distance from North Africa to arrive in Mallorca this morning in five boats. It was one of the biggest "single day arrivals" in many months. It comes after the Balearic government announced that the teeth of young immigrants, who had been granted asylum in Spain, would be tested to check their age.
A government spokesperson said that they suspected that Mallorca was the point where the most number of illegal immigrants were arriving surpassing the Canary Islands. There has been a steady flow of arrivals throughout this month, causing concern in government ciricles.
The spokesperson said that all the immigrants were in good health after receiving a medical examination after their arrival. There have been calls for air and sea patrols to be stepped up in an effort to curb the arrival of illegal immigants in the Balearics.
Plans for Spain to offer asylum to a large number of young illegal immigrants has caused a political storm with the far-right group Vox in the Balearics demanding that their teeth are checked to establish their exact age. This proposal was finally accepted by the Balearic government this morning. Vox claims that some of the immigrants who have been offered asylum are in fact adults who are claiming that they are much older than they really are.