Teenagers detained in Spain after long sea crossing – media (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
The Spanish authorities have detained seven Algerian teenagers who crossed nearly 300km of open sea in a recreational boat to reach the Spanish island of Ibiza in what local media is calling an unprecedented case.
The teenagers, ranging in age from 14 to 17, turned up on Playa d’en Bossa beach aboard a Geisa Naval Open 550 motorboat that was reported stolen in Algeria, Algerie360 said on Sunday. It is believed that the journey across the Mediterranean happened spontaneously because the teenagers were wearing only casual beach clothes, used a mobile phone app for navigation, and live-streamed parts of the nine-hour voyage, which went viral on social media.
Experts described the incident as the first known case of Algerian minors attempting such a crossing without adults. The teenagers are now in a juvenile detention facility in Ibiza.
Algerian outlets reported they could face charges of illegal migration and unauthorized operation of a vessel once they reach adulthood.
🇩🇿 CHOQUÉ 🔴 | Des adolescents d'origine algérienne âgés de 11 à 17 ans ont traversé la Méditerranée pour rejoindre l'Espagne avec un bateau qu'ils avaient loué.🇩🇿💩 Ils échappent à la pauvreté de l'Algérie, un pays pourtant riche en pétrole et en gaz. pic.twitter.com/DsCxazXa7g
— Moorish darknight 🦇 (@Jones1535898) September 7, 2025
According to ReliefWeb, in 2024, Spain’s Balearic Islands recorded around 6,000 migrant arrivals, which is well above the 2,278 registered the year before.
At least 743 people have died attempting to reach Europe across the Mediterranean so far this year. More than 500 of the fatalities took place on the Central Mediterranean route, according to the African Initiative news agency.
Earlier this year, Algerian police dismantled a smuggling network in Tizi Ouzou, arresting 21 individuals accused of organizing maritime crossings.
