At least 12 migrants are missing after jumping from a boat bound for Spain’s Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, authorities said on Saturday.
Another 14 people from the same vessel were rescued 58 kilometres southeast of Cabrera, according to local officials. The small island of Cabrera is located off the southern coast of Mallorca.
Survivors told authorities that 12 passengers had leapt from the boat on Friday, the local authority said in a statement.
Spain’s Guardia Civil and the coastguard were searching for the missing, who are from North Africa, the statement added.
The route from North Africa to the Balearics has surged this year, interior ministry figures show. ALSO READ: Authorities in Balearic Islands demand action amid surge in irregular migrant arrivals.
As of 15 August, 4,323 migrants had arrived on the islands since the start of the year, compared with 2,443 by the same date in 2024 — a 77% increase. ALSO READ: Migrant bodies found in sea off Balearic Islands with hands and feet tied.
By contrast, arrivals to Spain’s Canary Islands in the Atlantic, off western Africa, have fallen by 46% – thanks in large part to tighter controls by Mauritania. ALSO READ: Mauritania and Spain pledge cooperation on migration and to combat people smuggling.
ALSO READ: More than 10,450 migrants died in 2024 trying to reach Spain by sea.
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#Canal24Horas | Al menos doce migrantes desaparecidos tras saltar al agua desde una patera a 30 millas de Cabrerahttps://t.co/1YKsdA9ocs pic.twitter.com/UfyVpniyQc
— RTVE Noticias (@rtvenoticias) August 24, 2025
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