Some 20 migrants perished as they attempted to reach Europe’s borders, according to 87 survivors who landed in Malta yesterday morning after being rescued by the army.

Another died at Mater Dei hospital later in the afternoon. He was among three rushed to hospital suffering from dehydration after they drank sea water during their long journey, according to officials.

Eight migrants were sent to hospital following disembarkation from the army’s patrol boat at Haywharf early in the afternoon.

It is the first arrival of boat migrants to Malta this year, and the first since Italy’s rescue mission Mare Nostrum came to a close.

The migrants, all men, were rescued from a dinghy some miles off Mellieħa at about 8am yesterday.

They claimed to be from Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and Ivory Coast. They said they left from Libya and had spent days at sea.

The migrants said they had thrown the 20 who died overboard but army officials could not confirm the number of men who had died because they had not seen any bodies afloat, despite having monitored the dinghy carrying the migrants for hours.

They intervened when a distress call was received as the sea became increasingly rough due to a change in weather conditions. The migrants were picked up by a patrol boat and taken to Haywharf, the AFM maritime base where they were received by personnel in bio-hazard suits because of the risk of Ebola. Health authorities also arrived on site and set up a de-contamination tent as a precaution. Medical authorities later confirmed none of the migrants showed Ebola symptoms, such as fever.

None of those rescued had any signs of the Ebola virus

The migrants were seen sitting on deck for almost three hours while civil protection department officers arrived and health authorities set up the necessary precautions according to Ebola procedures.

This was the first time the Ebola drill was implemented upon the arrival of a migrants’ boat, authorities confirmed.

This was the first time Ebola drill was implemented upon the arrival of a migrants’ boat

Waiting in the pouring rain, the 87 men rescued were still wearing life jackets given to them by army officers during their rescue. They were given water and blankets and ordered to remain seated.

The migrants coming off the boat were evidently weak, barely able to walk. Some were carried off the boat by army officers. The first to disembark were the three who needed medical assistance, who were immediately transferred to hospital in two ambulances.

Most of the others were barefoot and were taken away in army trucks.

The first three men sent to hospital underwent Ebola tests, which turned out negative. The other survivors were taken to the Safi detention centre where they are being held in quarantine, monitored by the AFM and public health authorities.

Charles Mallia Azzopardi, the focal point of the Ebola response team, said the risk was low but every precaution was being taken. Those who arrived said they had spent some months in Libya where there is no Ebola outbreak, Dr Azzopardi added.

He explained the disease has a three-week incubation period so this would determine the length of time the survivors would spend in quarantine. Taking tests now would not be a sufficient measure, the specialist explained, because results could be misleading. More time was needed to eliminate any doubts.

The rescue was the first in several months and came at a time when the number of migrants in detention had slipped to a low of 29. At one time there were over 2,000 migrants in camps.

Last month, UN human rights expert François Crépeau warned that Malta could be receiving an increasing number of migrants and asylum seekers due to the conflict in Syria and the worsening situation in Libya.