HIBAPRESS
Spanish authorities have intensified their security operations against Algerian criminal networks involved in smuggling migrants from the coasts of Algeria, through what is known as the "Algerian maritime route," which is the fastest-growing among irregular migration routes to Spain this year.
Arrest of 50 people
These operations have resulted in the arrest or investigation of more than fifty people in recent months, along with the detection of increased use of advanced boats, and some secret hideouts known for concealing migrants in harsh and inhumane conditions.
The annual report of the Spanish Public Prosecution, issued at the beginning of last September, revealed the increasing number of criminal organizations that exploit speedboats designated for drug smuggling in migrant transport operations, especially those coming from the Algerian coasts, which generates huge profits for them.
This file was a major focus in the discussions of the Spanish Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, with his Algerian counterpart, Saïd Saïoud, during an official visit to Algeria, the first since the diplomatic crisis between the two countries in 2022, following Madrid's support for the Moroccan autonomy plan in the Sahara.
Spain put pressure on Algeria, where the two sides agreed to take joint measures to reduce the use of speedboats in smuggling migrants, in addition to updating protocols for the deportation of irregular migrants.
The increase in the number of migrants coming from Algeria
These moves come at a time when Spain is recording a significant increase in the number of migrants coming via the "Algerian maritime route," as the percentage of arrivals to the Balearic Islands rose by 75% to reach 6,104 migrants until October 15, 2025, compared to a decrease of 59% in the Canary Islands (13,491 migrants) compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Spanish Ministry of Interior.
The ministry also announced several qualitative operations during the past months, which led to the dismantling of networks specializing in human smuggling from Algeria to the Spanish coasts. In the latest of these operations, the National Police revealed on September 2 the dismantling of a criminal network that was supplying other groups with the boats needed to transport migrants across the Alboran Sea.
According to investigations that began in July 2024, seven people were arrested in the cities of Almeria and Alicante, and three boats were seized that were used to smuggle more than 80 Algerian migrants, with financial returns exceeding 560,000 euros.
