Between January and June, the authorities have located 31 bodies in the waters and on the beaches of the Balearics, which could be victims of shipwrecks involving migrant small boats from Algeria. According to data provided by the security forces to the Balearic Government Delegation, the first 15 bodies recovered from the sea and at different points along the Balearic coast, reported by the Civil Guard and the National Police between January and March, were joined by the remains of another 15 bodies found between 13 April and 3 June.
Although the official figures for the first four months of the year provided by the Delegation do not break down the numbers by island or area of discovery, at least four were found on the coast of Formentera: two bodies were found on 7 January on the beach of Es Cavall d’en Borràs; another body was found on 15 January on the beach of Sa Torreta, on the islet of S’Espalmador, and the fourth on 3 February on the shore of the beach of S’Alga.
Of the 15 people found in the sea or on the coast of the islands since April, a total of eight bodies have been recovered from the waters around the islands and the remaining seven on the coast.
According to details provided to EFE by the Balearic Government Delegation, on 13 April, a body was located in the Escorca maritime area and transferred to the Puerto Soller, and on 15 April, another body was found floating in the channel between Ibiza and Formentera.
In May, another body was found on the 7th floating 3.5 miles from the Puerto Soller, in the Serra de Tramuntana, and on the 9th, two new discoveries were reported: one body 16 miles southwest of Formentera and another six miles west of the smaller Pitiusa island. On 12 May, another body was located 3 miles from the island of Dragonera and the following day, a lifeless body appeared on the island of Sa Conillera, this time near Ibiza.
Three days later, on 16 May, another body was recovered 1.5 miles from the Formentor lighthouse, and at the end of the month, on 28 May, a deceased person was located near the island of Dragonera.
The last days of May and the first days of June saw multiple discoveries in Formentera: on Saturday 31st, two bodies appeared in the waters off the island and another on Migjorn beach.
On 1st June, a body was found in the area of Espardell Island and on 2nd June another body was found on Sant Francesc beach, both also in Formentera. The penultimate body officially recorded was found on 3 June off the coast of Santa Eulària, in Ibiza. In all cases, the security forces believe that they could be migrants who drowned during the irregular crossing of the Mediterranean between North Africa and the islands.
However, in most cases, issues such as the advanced state of decomposition of the bodies or the lack of DNA evidence from possible relatives make it impossible to identify them. The latest body was found on Wednesday 4 June in the waters off Ibiza shortly after midday, off the coast of Cala Jondal, in the municipality of Sant Josep. The Civil Guard does not know yet if this is another migrant attempting to reach the coast of the islands, the 31st body found so far this year.