84 illegal immigrants brought ashore
The Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) yesterday brought in 84 illegal immigrants in three separate groups.
In the first incident, the AFM were informed through their Operations Centre by a tuna-pen cage operator that one of their firm's vessels, the Gambero, which was about 55 nautical miles from Malta, had a boatload of illegal migrants alongside the tuna-pen cage it was towing.
The owner of the firm Mare Blue, Giovanni Ciappara, reported that some 28 migrants including five women were aboard the boat and that they required assistance.
The migrants, all Somalis, were claiming that their group had originally been 34, and that six of their party were missing.
By 11.38 a.m., an AFM Air Wing Islander aircraft was scrambled to the area and verified the initial report.
At 1.05 p.m., the AFM P-52 Protector-class patrol vessel was dispatched to the area and a mid-sea transfer was carried out.
At 3.30 p.m., the trawler Nuovo Lorenzo notified the AFM that it had spotted a boatload of illegal migrants about 30 miles south of Malta.
The migrants were intercepted by patrol boat P-32 at 6.30 p.m., after having been refuelled enroute by P-52.
These migrants were expected ashore in the early hours of this morning.
At 6.55 p.m., an AFM Air Wing Alouette helicopter conducting a routine aerial patrol around the Maltese coast sighted a boatload of migrants some 27 miles south of Malta.
As P-52 was enroute with its first boatload of migrants, it was diverted to intercept this second boatload of migrants.
They were safely taken onboard at 9.15 p.m., and were expected at Haywharf in Pietà at about one this morning.
Popular Stories
Update 3: Woman found dead in car,...
Updated: Woman dies in car crash
Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses
Updated: Shot migrant in critical...
The end of the bar that ‘never closed’
Bundy does not know whether to...
This WAS the night - Kurt makes it...
Yana Mintoff: Family speaking to...
Petrol price up 6c
In Discussion
5 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Salvatore aquilina
Jun 16th 2008, 19:42
Malta wake up before is to late think about the future
Jean Pierre Aquilina
Jun 16th 2008, 19:06
Malta is definitely too small to keep accepting the influx of illegal immigrants. We are the third most densely populated country in Europe - an estimated of 1,272 persons per square kilometre. Next behind us is Netherlands with 395 persons/sqr km. (source: Wikipedia).
This undeniable fact speaks for itself.
Kamal Awad
Jun 16th 2008, 19:01
Malta is victimized in between.
Europe keeps exporting both economical and political un-stability to Africa. And the latter export illegal immigrants.
My brain can not accept the ‘fact’ that Europe dose not want illegal immigrants. This all organized business approved by the EU. Irregular Immigrants understand this fact. Most European citizens do not.
Bernard Borg
Jun 16th 2008, 17:33
The only help Malta can expect from the EU is some insult from some of the EU's top brass as to how bad we are handling this explosive invasion. Thankyou very much much in advance for the great help by extending concrete and effective tangible help. GIVE US A BERAK!
John Azzopardi
Jun 16th 2008, 11:29
This is a real sad situation because there are human beings involved. Malta needs help fast in this area. If we keep going at this rate, Malta will definitely be destabilized. Malta cannot continue with this amount of illegals coming in. What ever comes out of the investigations that take place. This is like money laundering, except that it is human trafficking. I can understand if these people are coming from Sudan, Ethiopia or Somalia. However, these people are leaving Libya where they reside. I ask, are they really refugees. Why cannot te government start addressing this issue more seriously to put the Malteses' people minds at ease. This situation, if ot controlled in time, will have dire consequenses on our society and on the future of our children. Malta is too small to keep having 1750-2000 illegals coming in every year. This is half of Malta's current birth rate and they are mostly adult males.