Despite intensive diplomatic contacts between Malta and the Spanish and Libyan authorities, the Spanish trawler that was denied permission to bring 50 illegal immigrants to Malta on Saturday was, late last night, still some 20 nautical miles south of the island, sources said.
According to Tony Abela, Parliamentary Secretary responsible for defence within the Office of the Prime Minister, diplomatic contacts are going on between the government and the Spanish and Libyan authorities to try to resolve this issue.
The government cannot allow immigrants to come ashore who were taken on board closer to other ports. In this case the immigrants were closer to Libya, Dr Abela said.
Apart from refusing permission to let the trawler make port, the Maltese authorities have dispatched a patrol boat to "shadow" the vessel after it was ascertained that neither the vessel nor the immigrants were in any danger.
In fact food and water were lowered on board the trawler by an army helicopter. The Melita II search and rescue launch reached the Spanish trawler on Saturday and an army doctor examined a woman and a girl with operations lasting about three hours. The two females needed no further assistance, the army said.
The trawler's movements were monitored by an army patrol boat throughout the following night to make sure it did not sail closer towards Malta.
At 4 a.m. on Saturday, the army's Rescue Co-ordination Centre received a call from their Madrid counterparts who had been in contact with the trawler Francesco Catalina 100 miles southeast of Malta and who requested permission for the vessel to enter a Maltese port with 50 "recovered" persons on board.
Foreign Minister Michael Frendo had told The Sunday Times on Saturday that Malta would not accept the immigrants, because they were picked up at a point where Malta was not the closest territory and were outside the island's search and rescue zone.
At about 6.30 yesterday morning, a boat carrying 24 men and one woman landed on their own steam close to Marsaxlokk, the army said.