Updated - Adds Maltese reaction - A fishing boat packed with more than 963 immigrants has arrived in southern Italy, with the Italian media reporting that according to the migrants, the boat was accompanied for part of the way North by a Maltese patrol boat.
The Maltese government confirmed the presence of the patrol boat but said the migrants' boat was not in distress and could proceed northward normally.
The 25-metre fishing boat carried entire families of migrants from sub-sahara, with many of them, including children, needing hospital treatment after a difficult journey from Libya. The boat was escorted by Italian vessels to Pozzallo.
The migrants said they were at sea for four days. At one time, their boat was intercepted by a Maltese patrol boat. Maltese soldiers handed them life vests and directed the boat northward, Italian media reported, saying this episode risked sparking another incident between Italy and Malta.
MALTA CONFIRMS PRESENCE OF PATROL BOAT
The government in a statement said that Malta was first alerted to the presence of the migrants’ boat by an Egyptian fishing boat early on Sunday morning.
A patrol boat and a a patrol aircraft were sent to the scene. One of the migrants on the boat subsequrntly contacted a migrant in Italy, who in turn alterted the Rome rescue authorities.
By the time Rome had informed Malta, Malta had already dispatched the patrol boat to investigate.
“When the Maltese offshore patrol vessel P-61 reached the area of the boat in question, it found it proceeding northwards at 6 knots in no distress and in calm seas. P-61 remained in the vicinity of the vessel in order to provide assistance at any time should this be requested and in accordance with best practice as implemented by the Maltese authorities.
“Late on Monday afternoon, when the vessel was about one mile outside Italian territorial waters, the presence of the craft was signalled to the Italian authorities and the boat was intercepted and boarded by Italian Guardia di Finanza personnel who landed them in Sicily at around 11 p.m. yesterday,” the government said.
Meanwhile, an Italian NGO yesterday took Malta to the International Criminal Court, claiming that Malta should have rescued migrants located on a boat 50 miles off the Italian Island of Lampedusa over the weekend.
Malta denied the claims, saying responsibility rested on the Italian authorities since Lampedusa was far closer to the boat than Malta, and rescue by Italian assets was therefore easier. Malta, however, coordinated the rescue.