Kurt Bugeja Coster
German helicopter searches for missing migrants
The eight surviving migrants being transferred from the fishing vessel to a patrol boat.
A lone German helicopter yesterday searched for what is feared to be a large number of migrants lost at sea after their dinghy capsized in territorial waters. Conflicting versions provided by survivors put the number of missing at between 10 and 70.
The helicopter, which forms part of the EU's Frontex mission that patrols this part of the Mediterranean for would-be immigrants, spotted three corpses on Wednesday and two yesterday, but no survivors. The German border police helicopter was yesterday morning forced to abandon the search due to a technical problem but resumed its operation in the afternoon and returned to shore in the evening.
Although the precise location of the incident cannot be determined, the Armed Forces of Malta plotted a search area based on the location where eight survivors were rescued on Wednesday.
The rescue was carried out by the locally registered fishing boat Madonna ta' Pompei some 59 miles off Malta after their dinghy started rapidly taking in water.
The migrants were eventually taken aboard an AFM patrol boat and handed over to Immigration Police for further questioning.
Meanwhile, contrary to the initial information received from the AFM Operations Centre, an AFM spokesman said that the Air Wing's Islander aircraft was not involved in the search operation.
A spokesman for the police yesterday confirmed that the migrants are providing conflicting information with regard to their original numbers. Some claim to have been 18 while others to have been 78, said the spokesman.
However, a statement issued by the UN refugee agency yesterday evening urged the Maltese authorities to broaden the search "for at least 70 people missing and feared dead".
The UNHCR office in Malta spoke to two of the eight survivors, among them a 15-year-old boy, who explained that their boat had set off from the Libyan coast on August 21 with 78 passengers on board, mainly Somali, Eritrean and Sudanese.
The two survivors said the boat had capsized in rough seas on Monday but although the eight managed to hang on, the remainder, including four women - three of them pregnant - were swept away.
The survivors are now at the Safi Detention Centre following preliminary interviews by the Immigration Police.
The UNHCR office said they are in a poor physical and mental condition and should be given medical care and the adequate support, including counselling.
UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, L. Craig Johnstone yesterday said he was shocked by the loss of life.
"I am deeply saddened by this latest tragedy," Mr Johnstone said in Geneva. "This terrible loss of life highlights the urgent need for a concerted international effort aimed at addressing the root causes of migration and at offering international protection to those in need."
Popular Stories
Update 3: Woman found dead in car,...
Updated: Woman dies in car crash
Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses
The end of the bar that ‘never closed’
Bundy does not know whether to...
This WAS the night - Kurt makes it...
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
Petrol price up 6c
'No need for early election if PM's...
In Discussion
12 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
JB Caruana
Aug 30th 2008, 07:50
How come not one of the human traffickers was ever caught? What is Libya doing to catch such organisers? Probably nothing, same as Europe!!!
James A. Tyrrell
Aug 29th 2008, 23:34
@John Attard .100% correct John. Lets hope the Government listen to their people regarding this matter. I say to hell with the UN and the EU. Malta is not big enough to handle the silly numbers of illegal immigrants arriving on her shores. It is obvious that traffickers are bringing these people to within striking distance of Malta and then off-loading them into dinghies.
Any money which the Government has at its disposal should be spent on the people of Malta and not on illegal immigrants.
John Attard
Aug 29th 2008, 14:44
Why is it, that everyone is concerned with picking up the 'water that drips from the pail', but not in plugging the hole that it's dripping from? Do the bleeding hearts in Europe and the UN want us to believe that these people trek from Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, etc. all the way to the Lybian shore, then build boats,with their bare hands, and just sail off towards Malta ,Italy or Spain. It seems to be much more the case that criminal orginisations with, connections in high places, are making money off our backs.
The plain fact is, that with every one of the immigrants that we take in, our governments are indirectly putting money into the hands of HUMAN TRAFFICERS, -money that hardworking taxpayers have given it to spend on US-THE CITIZENS, not on people that not only do not care about us or our children, but have a total disregard for human life.
REPATRIATION should be the the policy accross the meditarreanean and if others are not willing to do it, then we must go it alone. Plain decency and rule of law will uphold this decision, and our Heritage and Childrens Future demands it !!!
Joanne Micallef
Aug 29th 2008, 14:08
When one knows that with today’s technology it is very easy to gather all the necessary info like for instance via satellite, I wonder who is really behind these criminal organizations. It is also a known fact how simple it is to make arrangements in Libya, I once saw a feature were an Italian journalist managed such a journey pretending to be a refugee from Iraq.
L Galea
Aug 29th 2008, 13:41
Mr Johnstone stop pestering us and start pestering Libya.
We are fed up with everyone telling us what to do and yet nobody puts his money where his mouth is and pay for all the the illegal immigrants expenses we are incurring from our taxes and take all the illegal immigrants from Malta to their own country.
E. Azzopardi
Aug 29th 2008, 13:16
Why is everybody telling us what to do and where to search? And why doesn't the UN Refugee agency speak to the Libyans, those champions of Human Rights?? Mr Craig ''is saddened by the loss of life''. We all are but what is he and those responsible doing about it?
It is incredible how complancent Malta is about all this!!!!!! It seems that nothing is being done but if something IS being done let the poeple know. However, whatever it is IT IS NOT WORKING.
a.cassar
Aug 29th 2008, 12:18
What is UNHCR doing where Libya is concernred? Is there a UNHCR representative in Libya? Do they monitor Libyan ports for any illegal activities because most probably the ships carrying these illegals are leaving from ports and not from secluded places.
albert spiteri
Aug 29th 2008, 12:02
A tragedy is always extremely sad, whether it is at sea or on land. UNHCR should start feeling the pain before the journey starts for the victims in these tragedies, not after. They should set up office in Libya and start bullying Gaddafi into doing something to avoid more tragedies at sea. Besides, even had those poor souls managed to make it to Malta, they'd still be victims in the human tragedy they embarked upon when they committed themselves into illegality and criminality by invading foreign territory.
C Chircop
Aug 29th 2008, 11:26
Can anybody explain why the refugess never provide details on who is organising this human trafficking business, and putting so many lives at risk?
Isn't there an international Agency to track down these sort of criminals?
I fail to understand why the authorities never tried to get down to the core of this whole human tragedy. Or do they really believe that these people are simply getting a boat/dinghy and planning their trip to Europe across the Mediterranean without any 'professional' assistance?
It is not just the root cause of migration which needs to be tackled, Mr. Johnstone, but the root cause of this criminal business in transporting human beings in dangerous waters while making a quick buck.
c damato
Aug 29th 2008, 10:15
1, 10, 70 or more missing... its always a tragedy... whoever it is & whatever the number...!
What is worrying is that this "so called" UNHCR and similar entities only "wake up" (if they do) for such occasions... i.e. when tragedy strikes...
And quoting Mr Johnstone: "I am deeply saddened by this latest tragedy. This terrible loss of life highlights the urgent need for a concerted international effort aimed at addressing the root causes of migration and at offering international protection to those in need."
.... "bongu" Sur Johnstone!!!
Is it only tragedy that makes you highlight the urgent need???
louise vella
Aug 29th 2008, 10:02
If one person died, it’s one too many. But the difference between 10 and 70 is too large to be a mistake. Someone must be lying. The only basis for saying 70 is what two surviving illegal immigrants told the UNHCR office in Malta. From the very beginning Italian media reports (corriere, ansa) used the conditional tense, indicating they did not take responsibility for the information. It is essential that the Maltese authorities find out the truth in the coming days, rather than relying on UNHCR sources.
This raises the issue of the status of UNHCR’s office in Malta. UNHCR’s briefing notes, for example (27/06/2007 - see http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/467b9dc84.html) say: “UNHCR very much appreciates the Government of Morocco's announcement … that it will sign a cooperation agreement … with us. This agreement will upgrade the status of the UNHCR office in Rabat to a full-fledged representation.” Has UNHCR signed a cooperation agreement with Malta, as with Morocco? If not, what is the legal basis of UNHCR’s activities in Malta?
Joseph Agius
Aug 29th 2008, 09:22
Yes this is a tragedy and everyone is shocked. But after the shock we make some reflections. I was wondering how the UNHCR managed to get the survivors to talk about detalis of the voyage but when it comes to details 'before the voyage' everyone seems to forget or unable to communicate!