[WATCH] Blocking ports for asylum seekers ‘unfortunate but correct’, education minister says

Closing Malta’s ports to asylum seekers was the “correct” decision at a time when the country’s resources are dedicated to battling the COVID-19 pandemic, Owen Bonnici said.

The Education Minister said the country was living “a new reality” as he defended the government decision to close its ports to migrant arrivals.

Malta has written to the European Commission informing it that it could no longer guarantee rescue missions in the Mediterranean and that it will not be accepting the disembarkation of migrants because of the coronavirus emergency.

Bonnici said this was not a nice decision to take but the country, like many others, was experiencing its own difficulties and the circumstances were “unfortunate”.

Unfazed by the prospect of people who could lose their lives at sea, Bonnici said the government’s stand had been communicated in advance so people were warned.

On Monday morning, government sources disputed the claim that a boat carrying dozens of migrants had sunk inside Malta’s search and rescue zone. 

On Facebook, Foreign Minister Evarist Bartolo relayed information given to Cabinet colleagues, who were told by government officials the claims were “unfounded”.

This newspaper has requested further details on the alleged incident from Alarm Phone, a migrant support NGO that alerts rescue coordination centres to the presence of boat migrants in distress.

Meanwhile, a Spanish NGO rescue vessel has reached one of the migrant boats in distress with 47 people on board.

However, more boats remain adrift in Malta’s Search and Rescue zone.

READ ALSO: Malta shuts its ports to migrants, tells European Commission it 'cannot guarantee resources for mass rescues'