Vessel which returned migrants to Libya sets course for migrant dinghy

A fishing boat which caused uproar when it returned migrants to Libya earlier this month, is currently on its way to a migrant dinghy also reportedly drifting in Maltese waters, raising fears of a “pushback by proxy”.    

File photo of migrant dinghy
File photo of migrant dinghy

A fishing boat which caused uproar when it returned migrants to Libya earlier this month, is currently on its way to a migrant dinghy also reportedly drifting in Maltese waters, raising fears of a “pushback by proxy”.    

Media reports quote government sources as saying that the boat was on its way to assist a contingent of 62 migrants who have been stranded in Maltese waters since Tuesday night.

The private fishing vessel Mae Yemenja left Grand Harbour on Tuesday night and was sailing East when it shut off its AIS vessel tracking pod.  Last contact with the people on the boat was at 9:10am  according to Emergency Hotline service Alarm Phone. It last reported its position some 17 hours ago.

The boat was recently in the news after it controversially returned a group of migrants, who were stranded at sea, to Libya.  

International law prohibits states from returning asylum seekers to a country where they are likely to face persecution, as is the case in Libya - a princple called "non-refoulement."

Alarm Phone took to Twitter about the matter, tweeting its concerns that a "pushback by proxy" to Libya was about to take place. Alarm Phone said it was not in contact with the vessel, originally named Dar al Salam. The AFM did not react to Alarm Phone's requests for position information or assistance, it told the MaltaToday.