More than a dozen youths arrested this year were placed under the jurisdiction of the Murcia Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office for alleged crimes against the rights of foreign nationals. Detainees describe being hauled onto small boats that reach the region’s shores. The alleged crime, defined in Article 318 of the Penal Code, traces its roots to crime rings abroad and poses a real risk of escape, leading authorities to hospitalize some minors in a secure facility. Police sources and ministry insiders note these dynamics.
In mid-August, authorities arrested two minors, one of whom was the ringleader of a small boat seized near Cabo de Palos. After processing at the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office, the youth was sent to a reform center in a closed regime. A fiberglass boat about five meters long carried fifteen people, a journey likely funded by the youth’s network. The craft was overcrowded and in poor condition, lacking life jackets or safety measures, and it traveled roughly 150 nautical miles. Earlier, in the spring, another boy was arrested in the neighboring province of Almería, accused of acting as a steward on a boat with eleven Syrian nationals aboard.
debts and fears
Yet these adolescents were not true captains; they were travelers. Security forces have recently uncovered that the migrant trafficking networks try to disguise their bosses among the passengers on the barges. The actual helmsman is sometimes a minor. Some arrested youths later revealed that if the real bosses took the helm, they would avoid paying for the trip or would pay much less than others.
Migrants who do not pay the full amount incur debts to international networks that bring them to Spain. This fuels fear about naming those in charge of the boats. Tickets are steep: roughly 3,000 euros, with some reaching up to 6,000 per person. Traffickers even record videos of the voyage on their phones to provide graphic proof of their dominance, documenting the youths as pawns rather than masters.
Forensic sources note that the maximum precautionary detention for a minor in Spain is six months. If this period ends without a verdict, the suspect must be released.
In 2022, more than a thousand Africans have illegally entered along the region’s coast to date. Pinpointing the true owner of a boat is difficult, as traffickers take steps to avoid capture. Police say a designated Immigration authority body has trained observers who hide their faces during the voyage to prevent identification by air. If a boat is at risk of seizure, they swap clothes and relocate within the craft. The travelers then mingle with the crowd, sometimes seizing a minor to pose as a relative of the same person.
Yet the National Police can distinguish genuine captains: they arrive in Spain several times and are registered at the police station, and often resurface on another barge soon after. Institutional resources serve as a clear sign that the migrant is in command; a person intent on reaching Europe would not return home and would quickly board another vessel.
All migrants reaching the region by small boat and intercepted along the way are offered enrollment in the Immigrant Admission Program. Most accept this option. When CATE was not present and in Escombreras, they were transported by buses and then dispersed with assistance from various humanitarian organizations in the region and beyond. When borders with Algeria are closed, as they are now, the country does not grant extradition and foreign nationals remain free.
A month-long journey from Syria to Algeria to board
“It’s still boat season.” Arrivals are expected to ease with the cooler November weather, say Murcia Region police officers. They describe a triangular route linking the Algerian coast with the region, Almería, Alicante, and the Balearic Islands.
The latest wave of arrivals occurred last September, with nearly 900 people reaching Spain from Algeria. Alongside Algerians, Syrians and Yemenis were noted by the National Police and Civil Guard associations. These travelers move from Algeria to Spain to seek a better life. The irregular migration route via Algeria appears to be waning as various nationalities tighten their efforts to reach Spanish shores by boat.
Ongoing tensions between the Spanish government and Algeria, notably over gas supplies, have intensified illegal boat travel. People fleeing conflict zones also head toward Algeria. Police indicate this process could take months: for example, Syrians often depart their country, pass through Libya, and end up in Algeria. In April, a 30-year-old man was arrested off the coast of Algeria steering a boat carrying 13 Syrian nationals.
Immigrants arriving by boat receive police protection for up to 72 hours. After that window, they may act independently: many are not accused of crimes, only of illegal entry, which is an administrative offense. Most express a wish to continue their journey toward France.