Maltese army to disembark 58 migrants and a dog rescued by the Aquarius

An army patrol boat is expected to disembark 58 migrants that were rescued by the NGO vessel MV Aquarius.

The migrants will disembark at the army base in Haywharf, Floriana.

The migrants were transferred from the Aquarius to the army patrol boat in international waters after the NGO vessel had its flag withdrawn by the authorities in Panama.

The 58 migrants will be redistributed among four EU member states after an agreement was brokered last week between Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and French President Emmanuel Macron. Muscat said today that this was the fruit of collaboration between those who wanted  to be part of the solution on migration.

The Prime Minister also confirmed that the survivors included a dog. "Because our job is to rescue all lives," he said this morning.

The ship-toship transfer had to take place earlier, however, it is believed that bad weather hampered the delicate exercise.

The group of migrants had been rescued by the Aquarius within Libya's territorial waters and had initally requested disembarkation of its passengers in Italy but was refused entry.

Speaking to Labour supporters on Sunday morning, Muscat said he shouldered responsibility for his government's decision to "be part of the solution and not part of the problem" on the migration issue.