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Updated | 246 Eritrean migrants to be brought to Malta
246 Eritrean migrants fleeing Libya on their way to Malta on board three AFM patrol boats.
9 November 2012, 12:00am
Karl Stagno-Navarra
Karl Stagno-Navarra
2 min read
The migrant boat as photographed by the AFM's fixed wing unit dispatched to the area
Updated at 5:40pm
In a statement issued this evening, the Armed Forces of Malta said three patrol vessels of the Armed Forces of Malta carrying the rescued immigrants are currently some 75 NM South East of the Grand Harbour.
A total of 246 migrants including 48 women and seven children will disembark at Hay Wharf Base tonight at around 9.30 p.m.
Earlier
Armed Forces patrol boats are on their way to Malta with an estimated 250 Eritrean migrants - including a number of women and children - who were assisted on the high seas in an operation which had been ongoing since yesterday afternoon.
The migrants had originally launched an SOS via a satellite phone to an Eritrean journalist in Sweden, an Eritrean priest in Rome, and to another Eritrean migrant at the Hal Far Open Centre.
The Armed Forces dispatched two patrol craft and an airplane to the area and located the migrant boat, while also diverting a merchant ship to the area to render immediate assistance to the migrants.
Informed sources said that "the boat was not found to be sinking but was proceeding North" and that it was being closely monitored by the merchant ship, and the AFM's patrol craft.
The migrants are reported to have left from Libya and have been at sea for the past four days. It remains unknown whether the boat would be able to continue proceeding with its journey to Italy, or whether the Maltese authorities decide to intervene and take the migrants on board the AFM patrol craft and bring them to Malta.
Senior military sources told MaltaToday that it was decided to bring the migrants to Malta, after their engine broke down and they could not proceed any further towards Italy, which was their destination.
Marco Pacciotti, a prominent Italian activist on migration issues, who heads the immigration forum within the centre-left Partito Democratico, last night called for "immediate intervention" by Malta or Italy, to the Eritrean migrants, who launched an SOS from their sinking boat from within Maltese search and rescue area.
Pacciotti stressed that it was necessary to "intervene immediately and without any hesitation to avoid any further tragedies at sea."
He added that news of the SOS launched from the distressed migrant boat "urges responsibility from authorities to avoid at all costs the possibility that the boat sinks and those on board lose their lives."
Pacciotti stressed that Italy and Malta "must do all they can to locate, assist and rescue the migrants."
While reiterating the need for a further joint effort to assist distressed migrants at sea, Pacciotti also urged for more coordination and understanding between the two countries to work harder and convince Europe on the need on a concerted effort towards a long-standing commitment on migration.
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Malta should pick up all refugees within its zone of responsibility. However, once rescued they should be sent to Brussels post haste. If the EU demands rescuing of all and sundry then the EU should deal with it not insist that a tiny island bear all the responsibility of a failed EU policy. If Mintoff was still prime minister that is exactly what he would have done. The gutless and appeasing PN on the other hand will never stand up to Brussels in defence of Malta's rights.
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Malta should pick up all refugees within its zone of responsibility. However, once rescued they should be sent to Brussels post haste. If the EU demands rescuing of all and sundry then the EU should deal with it not insist that a tiny island bear all the responsibility of a failed EU policy. If Mintoff was still prime minister that is exactly what he would have done. The gutless and appeasing PN on the other hand will never stand up to Brussels in defence of Malta's rights.
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Malta should pick up all refugees within its zone of responsibility. However, once rescued they should be sent to Brussels post haste. If the EU demands rescuing of all and sundry then the EU should deal with it not insist that a tiny island bear all the responsibility of a failed EU policy. If Mintoff was still prime minister that is exactly what he would have done. The gutless and appeasing PN on the other hand will never stand up to Brussels in defence of Malta's rights.
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Malta should pick up all refugees within its zone of responsibility. However, once rescued they should be sent to Brussels post haste. If the EU demands rescuing of all and sundry then the EU should deal with it not insist that a tiny island bear all the responsibility of a failed EU policy. If Mintoff was still prime minister that is exactly what he would have done. The gutless and appeasing PN on the other hand will never stand up to Brussels in defence of Malta's rights.
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Malta should pick up all refugees within its zone of responsibility. However, once rescued they should be sent to Brussels post haste. If the EU demands rescuing of all and sundry then the EU should deal with it not insist that a tiny island bear all the responsibility of a failed EU policy. If Mintoff was still prime minister that is exactly what he would have done. The gutless and appeasing PN on the other hand will never stand up to Brussels in defence of Malta's rights.
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My vote this election will go to that party which have the BALLS and send these illegal emigrants, back from where they came from.So when somethingis said that thiswill be done for the maltese people they say "and to do that from where you're going toget the money? So where we're getting the money for these thousands of illigal emigrants?? Can someone tells how much millions from our taxes is being spend for these emigrants??????
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Jien nahseb li wiehed mill-vapuri ta Ghawdex ghandhom imorru l-Libja- darba fix-xaghar- jghabbu lil min iridt jigi hawn bla ma jintilfu hajjiet: u safe u orhos ghalina.
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Nahseb dawn lemigranti semaw il tonio issemi 3500 jobs.
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How come Dr Gonzi and his Ministers, who are always appearing in photos and on TV when there is good news, never show up when these illegal immigrants arrive in Malta? They must know it's very bad news for Malta and the Maltese electorate. How come Dr Beppe Fenech Adami never shows up?
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Is the Italian priest involved in this Human Trafficking in any way? What is the Italian priest doing with a satellite radio, same as the illegal immigrants? Maybe it is a hobby of his to answer SOS calls on his satellite radio and then inform the authorities? How come an Italian priest and the illegal immigrants are in possession of satellite radios? Maybe this operation goes deeper than we think.Is the church itself involved in this Human trafficking? Maybe the Government should investigate.
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Dr Gonzi never put any limit. Never spoke of any quotas. He said we will take them all. Last July he spoke of boats carrying 27 illegal immigrants. Now it's ten times 27 that we get at one go. What do Dr Gonzi, Dr Beppe Fenech Adami, UNHCR and the Jesuit Refugee Services say?
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Pacciotti stressed that Italy and Malta "must do all they can to locate, assist and rescue the migrants."
What about Libja these migrants are all coming from their shores!!!
