The Government of the Balearic Islands has formally requested the Ministry of Childhood and Youth to invoke the migratory contingency mechanism in order to halt the transfer of unaccompanied minors from other autonomous communities, amid the migration crisis in Balearics. The request was made through a written submission by the Vice-President and Minister of Presidency, Coordination of Government Action and Local Cooperation, Antònia Maria Estarellas.
The Consolat de la Mar, headquarters of the Balearic Government. Photo: CAIB.
The request comes in a context of unprecedented pressure on the island’s guardianship system. Between January and August, 4,895 migrants in an irregular situation landed on the archipelago’s shores, more than 350 of them unaccompanied minors who became wards of the island councils. According to official data, there are currently 694 migrant minors under care, despite Royal Decree 743/2025 setting the ordinary capacity at 406 places. This represents an overcrowding of more than 1,000%, with two out of every three minors in care being migrant youths.
Estarellas warned that “the imposition of transfers without support, dialogue or consensus would pose a direct risk both for the minors and for the sustainability of the entire protection system”.
Legal actions amid the migration crisis in Balearics
In parallel, the Balearic Executive has launched legal proceedings against the latest state decrees. The Legal Service of the Autonomous Community has filed an appeal before the Supreme Court against Decree 658/2025, of 22 July, and is preparing another against Royal Decree 743/2025, of 26 August. These cases add to the appeal lodged in March against Royal Decree-law 2/2025, which has already been admitted by the Constitutional Court.
The Government stresses it will continue to use all political and legal avenues to guarantee respect for the best interests of the child and the viability of the protection system in the archipelago, in the midst of the migration crisis in Balearics.
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