Labour leader Joseph Muscat yesterday effectively backed the government's position on the latest rescue operation conducted by the armed forces in which a group of migrants were sent back to Libya after being rescued from a sinking boat.
"Truthfully, I have no reason to suspect the version of the AFM but I think after what was reported in the media it is the PM's duty to make a statement and then, we can ask our questions," Dr Muscat said, echoing the faith shown by the Prime Minister in the AFM's handling of the migrants.
The statement referred to by Dr Muscat would be a declaration by the Prime Minister when Parliament convenes again in late September, a sign that the Opposition Leader does not share the sense of urgency shown by humanitarian groups that criticised the AFM's handling of the migrants.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi ruled out an independent inquiry into the incident in which 27 migrants were sent back aboard a Libyan boat on July 18.
Fifty-five Somalis rescued from a sinking dinghy were divided into two groups on the high seas with 28 being brought to Malta and the rest taken to Libya. The army said those who boarded the Libyan boat did so voluntarily but the claim was disputed by migrants who spoke to The Times, alleging they were led to believe the other vessel was heading to Italy.
The decision raised concerns among humanitarian organisations because Libya is not a signatory to the Geneva Convention, which protects the rights of asylum seekers. In fact, many international human rights agencies have chronicled abuses in the North African state.
But Dr Gonzi is convinced that the rights of the migrants were safeguarded. "The army behaved according to established rules and procedures and if this weren't the case, I would have taken action but from what I have been told by the army they observed all procedures and protocol," he said.
Speaking during an interview broadcast on the Nationalist Party radio yesterday, Dr Gonzi made the humanitarian case again after the criticism by NGOs this week.
He pointed out that one of the pregnant women who arrived in Malta on a boat a few days ago gave birth only two days after landing here, adding that migrants were victims of particular circumstances and they deserved all the support they could get to be saved.
"This is our duty," he said adding that he could never accept messages and e-mails such as the terrifying ones he received urging him to "let these people drown".