Mallorca leader targets health tourism, defends migrant care
In Palma, Mallorca, in the Balearic Islands, regional president Marga Prohens wants to curb health tourism — people travelling in for treatment — while keeping care for migrants already on the islands, regardless of their immigration status. She drew that line in the Balearic Parliament on Tuesday, 10 November 2026. Prohens was answering Vox spokesperson Manuela Cañadas, who blamed both issues for pressure on health facilities.
Prohens said people already on the islands must be treated for reasons of humanity and to prevent the spread of disease. She accused Spain’s government of encouraging people from outside to seek healthcare paid for by taxpayers, calling that unsustainable and saying it must end.
Cañadas argued that treating migrants without regular immigration status costs citizens money. She also warned that bills owed by tourists, insurers or other countries sometimes go unpaid, leaving the Balearic health service short of funds.
But Prohens said neither issue was the biggest challenge. She pointed instead to population growth and the increasing need to treat chronic illness as the population ages. Her government, she said, has already taken measures to address both.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com