Malta is not receiving immigrants from Tunisia, because it does not feature on the geographical route, according to Italian ambassador to Malta Luigi Marras.

Interviewed by Italian media, Mr Marras said what the Maltese ambassador Walter Balzan failed to say when intervening on a Rai TV programme where journalist Massimo Giletti claimed Malta was shooting at migrant boats. Mr Giletti said this is why no boats were arriving in Malta.

When Mr Balzan called the programme to issue the Maltese government’s strong denial, Mr Giletti asked him why no migrants were arriving to the island, but Mr Balzan refused to offer an explanation.

Meanwhile, Mr Marras said he was “astonished” by Mr Giletti’s claims and glad that the Maltese ambassador had the opportunity to intervene.

“The allegations are completely out of the picture and just made by one journalist,” he said, as he explained that while Lampedusa and Sicily are geographically found on the migratory route from Tunisia, Malta is not.

“It would have been different if they are coming from Libya,” he said, quickly adding that even if migrants were leaving Libya, the idea that Malta would shoot at migrants is “not at all correct and just false allegations” which he said were rooting on a misunderstanding or a “superficial” analysis.

Meanwhile, Maltese people are flooding the Facebook pages of Mr Giletti and Rai TV, complaining about the comments the journalist made and threatening that the Maltese government will take legal action.