Migrants' boat arrives in Italy, flying Maltese flag
File picture.
A fishing boat carrying 166 Egyptian and five Somali migrants arrived overnight in the southern Italian port of Bari, the Italian coast guard said.
The boat, some 30 meters (100 feet) long and flying a Maltese flag, was spotted a few kilometres offshore and accompanied to port by four Italian vessels.
All the migrants, who included 54 minors, were in good health, the coast guard said.
Bari sees few arrivals of migrants seeking asylum or a better life in Europe, as most head for Italy's southern islands.
Around 150 Egyptians were stopped off the Apulia coast on October 24.
Most were repatriated the next day, and on Friday 10 human traffickers were sentenced to eight years in prison for abetting illegal immigration and resisting a naval vessel, the ANSA news agency reported.
Popular Stories
Update 3: Woman found dead in car,...
Updated: Woman dies in car crash
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses
The end of the bar that ‘never closed’
Bundy does not know whether to...
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
This WAS the night - Kurt makes it...
'No need for early election if PM's...
In Discussion
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
Gozo tunnel could take 5-7 years to...
CABS remote controlled aircraft shot...
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Joseph Calleja condemns portrayal of...
Second group of migrants arrives
Updated: Labour would give...
CABS drone shot down
Adrian Vassallo in scathing...
13 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Sean Grima
Nov 20th 2011, 12:41
racism is really the fruit of ignorance.
Adriano Spiteri
Nov 19th 2011, 15:08
Isn't their ignorance amusing!?
Joseph N. Attard
Nov 19th 2011, 14:59
They aren't stupid, are they? They did not stop in Greece, which would have been about half the distance they sailed. They all want to get to central and northern Europe. Our only hope of not being overwhelmed is that the vast majority of illegal immigrants from North African shores will try to avoid landing in Malta.
william cauchi
Nov 19th 2011, 14:28
Most likely, it was a 'pilot on board' flag, the 'H' flag.
This is also half white, half red. Yep some pilot, all the way from Egypt.
Charles Sammut
Nov 19th 2011, 14:04
Bari is half way up the Adriatic!
"Most were repatriated the next day, . . . . . . . " Now we will have the bleeding hearts whining that they were not given a chance to apply for asylum. I mean they could say that they are all gay because that is 'illegal' in Egypt and gays are persecuted.
John Azzopoardi
Nov 19th 2011, 13:43
There is no place for illegal migrants unless they do it legally. To our knowledge, to according to the international media, there is no dictators anymore in north africa where these illegal migrants are leaving. so why send them back immediately. This situation is not acceptable. Even at the height of the libyan cises, we did not see libyan refugees leaving their country. People must realize that they must fight for their freedom and econimic well being. And not go to Europe to get freebies.
Joseph Ellul
Nov 19th 2011, 13:37
Egypt and Somalia should be taking immigrants not sending them out. Both these countries recieve UN money far in excess of what Malta could ever get. So, send these people back. Europe is broke and cannot even support itself let alone these helpless victims of world events.
MALCOLM SEYCHELL
Nov 19th 2011, 12:59
Did they write JRS on the flag???
Monti might be good news for Malta as he will surely take all illegal immigrants, since he is a puppet of th EUSSR
Louise Vella
Nov 19th 2011, 12:16
Is Frontex sleeping?
Carmel Grima
Nov 19th 2011, 10:57
Jista' jkun li l-bandiera kienet dik internazzjonali li hi bajda u hamra bhal ta' Malta imma minghajr il-George Cross.
riccardo borg
Nov 19th 2011, 14:22
Mela jiswa ghal xi haga l-George Cross jekk mhux ghal l-unur tal-Maltin ta' zmien il-Gwerra.
M Cachia
Nov 19th 2011, 15:07
Or maybe the flag of bari itself!!
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Bari.svg
Joseph Calleja
Nov 19th 2011, 15:44
U xi nies iridu inehhu il-George Cross. minn fuq il-Bandiera Nazjonali ta Malta?