Migrant arrivals in Balearics surge as smugglers reroute

Nineteen boats carrying about 360 people reached Spain's Balearic Islands in the past two days, the latest surge in arrivals defying attempts by authorities to curb the fastest-growing migratory route into the European Union.

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A migrant sits in a public park after arriving from Algeria, in Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, on Aug 12.

(REUTERS)

Arrivals via the Western Mediterranean route, primarily boats departing Algeria for Spain, rose 27% in January-October compared with the same period last year, the steepest increase among routes, even as overall arrivals to the EU fell 22%, according to data from EU border agency Frontex.