Maritime Rescue has launched an operation to locate two boats believed to have left Algeria carrying a total of 23 people on 4 and 6 October. José Ramón Crespí, head of Maritime Rescue in the Balearic Islands, said a helicopter and a search aircraft flew over waters south of the islands on Sunday in an attempt to locate the migrants, but neither vessel was found.
However, he clarified that Frontex aircraft and the Civil Guard regularly patrol this part of the Mediterranean to monitor possible new arrivals by boat.
Alarm Phone, an organisation supporting migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean, reported on its X account that the first boat left Zeralda, Algeria, on 4 October, heading towards the Balearic Islands with 17 people on board. The second incident occurred on 6 October, when another small boat carrying six people departed Algeria for Spain.
There has been no further information about either boat since their departure. The authorities have been notified, and Alarm Phone has called on them to fulfil their search and rescue obligations.