Armed Forces coordinating medical evacuation for eight migrants aboard Open Arms

Eight migrants are to be brought to shore in a medical evacuation operation, the Armed Forces of Malta confirmed.

Earlier, the Open Arms had said on Twitter that these eight migrants who needed medical attention were to disembark in Malta, but the Armed Forces told MaltaToday that it had not yet received any official communication from the NGO vessel.

In a statement by the AFM on Monday afternoon, the armed forces confirmed that arrangements had finally been made and that eight migrants were being transferred to the army's P21 vessel.

They will disembark to the Hay Wharf Base in Malta. 

Open Arms has been at sea for 11 days since 2 August, carrying 160 migrants. Italy had refused to open its ports to the rescue vessel and while Malta was willing to take 39 migrants, Open Arms declined the offer unless the Maltese government took the rest of the migrants, 121, to Malta. 

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