Updated | 162 migrants rescued by AFM to be brought to Malta

Two groups of migrants, one arriving in the afternoon, the other in the evening, were rescued in Malta's search and rescue zone

26 August 2019, 4:14pm

1 min read

A group of some 162 migrants who were rescued by the Armed Forces of Malta from within the Maltese search and rescue area have been brought to Malta.

The migrants were found during the army's routine patrolling of the Maltese search and rescue zone, and were transferred to AFM vessels. The first group of 73 persons arrived in Malta's SAR at around 4.30pm, and another group of 88 migrants arrived just before 8pm.

The AFM confirmed that the migrants were rescued in two separate rescue operations on Monday.

The rescue comes days after Malta agreed to transfer some 360 people rescued by the NGO-operated vessel Ocean Viking, to Malta following a two-week standoff between EU member states, including Malta and Italy.

The Ocean Viking migrants will be distributed among six willing EU member states.