A group of 220 migrants rescued at sea were on their way to Italy last night after pleading not to be taken to Malta.
The migrants, who claimed to be Syrian, were expected in Malta but the transfer from the ship to Maltese patrol boats was delayed and eventually aborted amid protests and adverse weather conditions.
The tired travellers, including several women and children, eventually got their way and the Italian government agreed to take charge of the group yesterday evening, according to sources.
The migrants were first picked up by a Maersk cargo ship some 285 nautical miles southeast of Malta late on Thursday night.
An Armed Forces of Malta spokesman told The Sunday Times of Malta their rusty fishing boat had been spotted in distress and the merchant vessel was the first to respond.
After having exhausted all attempts to transfer the migrants onto a boat to Malta, the AFM made contact with the Italian government which agreed to take charge of the group.
There wasn’t much we could do. We had to ask the Italians to intervene
“Forcing the migrants to come to Malta is against the policy we have adopted for rescue operations. There wasn’t much we could do. We had to ask the Italians to intervene,” the spokesman said. The migrants had not received medical treatment and until last night it was not yet known whether any were injured or pregnant women were among them.
The war in Syria has forced tens of thousands to flee, prompting a shift in migration patterns across the Mediterranean.
Last month, about 500 migrants were killed after their ship was rammed by another boat.
Yesterday’s incident comes as the Italian rescue operation Mare Nostrum is drawing to a close, a move which many believe could have disastrous consequences for the hundreds of migrants still willing to brave the treacherous Mediterranean crossing.
Meanwhile, the EU’s new border patrol mission has not attracted the necessary resources from member states.
The International Organisation for Migration said that more than 2,500 people are believed to have drowned in the Mediterranean this year.