AFM rescue 66 illegal immigrants

Sixty-six illegal immigrants were rescued by the Armed Forces when their boat began taking in water some 40 miles south of the island early yesterday morning.

The Armed Forces said they received a call for the rescue of the immigrants at about 1.20 a.m.

They immediately sent out their newly-acquired boat, the P-51, and rescued the migrants from their 10-metre boat.

Another boat later joined the P-51 in the rescue operation.

The police said all the immigrants were men.

Thirty-seven are from Liberia, 20 from Iraq, five Palestinians, two from Morocco, one from Ghana and another from Egypt.

More than 1,500 illegal immigrants have landed in Malta so far this year in 16 different trips.

More than 500 of them have been repatriated at a cost of Lm87,000.

Twenty have been granted refugee status, and 280 applications are being processed.

Another 80 immigrants were allowed to stay on humanitarian grounds.

The youngest in detention is a baby born in Malta last month.