Italy to issue diplomatic protest on migrants rescue

Malta is today expecting to receive a diplomatic protest from Italy over what the Italians claim is the island’s failure to rescue migrants off Lampedusa on Sunday.

Italian news agency Ansa reported late yesterday that Foreign Minister Franco Frattini had instructed the Italian Ambassador to Malta to file the protest.

But the Home Affairs Ministry last night was unrepentant, insisting that Malta acted completely in line with its obligations. It plans to give a detailed account of how the incident unfolded.

On Sunday, a boat carrying some 600 immigrants fleeing Libya was located 42 miles off Lampedusa and 109 miles off Malta. Rome notified Malta about it and the AFM managed to establish contact with the migrants via satellite phone.

The migrants, who included 170 women and 30 children, claimed their boat was taking in water but they proceeded directly north to Lampedusa, the AFM said.

Malta started coordinating rescue efforts with the US Navy’s 6th Fleet Headquarters in Naples, as well as other merchant shipping in the area, since Italian rescue assets were busy on the night with migrant boat rescue operations.

Despite the bad weather and the distance from Malta, an AFM patrol vessel also went out in search of the boat.

Early on Sunday afternoon, a Nato aircraft contacted the Malta centre and confirmed that the boat was still afloat and heading north.

An AFM aircraft flew out and located the migrants’ 20-metre boat.

Italian boats rescued the migrants just 19 miles from Lampedusa.

Italian media, including Rai, claimed that Malta had “ignored” the call for help.