Dehydrated migrants brought ashore

Another 25 irregular immigrants, all men, were rescued and brought ashore by the army yesterday, the third group to be landed in less than a week.

Some of the migrants were suffering from severe dehydration and were given immediate medical attention.

The boat was spotted by fishermen about 25 nautical miles south east of Malta at about 10 a.m., the army said.

An Alouette helicopter and two patrol boats were deployed to assist the men.

The immigrants, who sources said claimed to be Sudanese, were taken on board the rescue launch Melita 2 which sailed to the Armed Forces of Malta's maritime base in Haywharf, Pietà where they arrived at about 3 p.m.

The operation was coordinated by the army's Rescue Coordination Centre. The police are investigating.

A group of 23 illegal immigrants, including a woman, were brought to Malta on an army patrol boat on Sunday afternoon.

The group, thought to consist mostly of Eritreans, was spotted in a boat 59 miles south of Malta that morning.

Another group of 45 migrants, mostly Ethiopians, were landed the previous Friday night after the Rescue Coordinating Centre in Rome informed the Armed Forces of Malta they had been spotted on a rubber dinghy about 80 nautical miles south of the island.