Fisherman defies AFM orders to return migrants to Libya

A group of 20 illegal immigrants probably owe their life to a resolute Maltese fisherman and his trawler captain who defied the orders of the Maltese authorities to take them to Libya.

Fisherman Raymond Bugeja said yesterday he was prepared to bring the migrants to Malta and risk arrest if that meant saving human lives.

However, in an apparent U-turn, the Armed Forces of Malta last night said it had sent a boat to pick up the migrants who were rescued in Libyan search and rescue waters.

"The decision to accept these migrants was based on humanitarian considerations," the army said in a statement last night.

Events started developing Thursday morning when 20 migrants ended on a tuna pen walkway after their boat capsized. The pen was being towed by the Eyborg.

The Eyborg, an Icelandic boat is sub-contracted to the Marsaxlokk-based company Ta' Mattew Fish Farms.

The captain of the vessel told The Times the migrants had claimed that seven to 10 of their group were lost at sea.

A woman had died and her body was being kept in the vessel's life raft. The tuna pen was being towed by a 300-metre cable.

The migrants, mainly from Ethiopia, with one man from Sudan, and three from Nigeria, are well, according to the captain.

He said he informed the AFM twice on Friday that his boat was carrying illegal migrants, but he was instructed to ferry them to the nearest port in Libya.

Mr Bugeja insisted this was not an option. The boat was steadily heading towards Malta but, more importantly, he felt Libya was not the right place to provide assistance to asylum seekers.

Realising that little assistance was forthcoming, Mr Bugeja said he was prepared to send one of his own fast boats to pick up the migrants from the Icelandic vessel and bring them to Malta.

"When I told the army about my intentions, I was threatened with arrest. If I'm arrested, then I will proudly say I'm a hero for saving people.

"They even threatened the captain with arrest and told him to go back to Libya.

"Are they crazy? Do they want to give these poor people a slow death," he wondered. The boat continued on its route to Malta. By yesterday afternoon, it was some 75 miles south of the island.

Mr Bugeja believes the issue was only resolved following the intervention of the UN refugee agency and the Icelandic government.

"I believe the Maltese are becoming increasingly racist. We're prepared to send donations abroad but we don't want to provide assistance to someone in distress outside our ports," Mr Bugeja said.

A spokesman for the AFM insisted the captain was in duty bound to take the migrants to Libya if they were in its search and rescue waters when they were recovered.

"The Eyborg captain was informed of his international obligations that he had to take them to the nearest port.

"It was pointed out to him that he could face legal proceedings if he gets the immigrants to Malta for being a facilitator of human trafficking."

The Maltese embassy in Tripoli was actively involved in the negotiations. The Icelandic trawler was advised by the Libyan authorities that it could proceed to the port of Misurata.

The migrants are expected to be brought ashore at Haywharf in Pietà early this morning.