An AFM patrol boat has rescued 53 migrants from a half submerged dinghy 41 miles off Delimara Point.

The rescue took place this afternoon after the dinghy was reported shortly before noon by the merchant ship Sparto.

All but one of the migrants are men.

The migrants are expected to be brought to shore later this evening, but the patrol boat has in the meantime been diverted to another position where a boat carrying 28 migrants is reportedly in distress. Those on board include a pregnant woman.

This is the second time in four days that migrants have arrived on a dinghy. The first was on Sunday when 95 migrants made it on a large rubber dinghy.

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