AFM rescues 18 migrants in distress

The Armed Forces of Malta rescued 18 people in distress, the Home Affairs Ministry has confirmed.

“The Armed Forces of Malta rescued 18 people in distress. Arrivals remain low and no sudden influxes are expected. During the same period, a record percentage of those arriving irregularly were returned to their country of origin,” a ministry spokesperson said.

Sources who spoke to this newspaper said the rescue was carried out at around 3am this morning, but the condition of those aboard is not yet known.

They also said that the nationality of those aboard the boat are Gambian, Syrian and Sudanese, but the ministry did not confirm nor deny the information.

Last month, the European Court of Human Rights ordered Malta to pay €25,000 in compensation to an Ivorian migrant over human rights breaches while in detention.

The ECHR expressed concern at what it called Malta’s “defective national system hindering human rights protection”. It also called on the government to improve migrant detention conditions and ensure a legal basis for their detention.