Two illegal immigrants were airlifted to hospital in Malta from a fishing boat last night while the group they had been with was returned to Libya.

The AFM said a boat carrying some 50 migrants was found by the Italian fishing boat Marve.

The migrants, including a baby, were taken on board the Spanish-registered fishing vessel Punta Aljibe, which reported that two were in a poor state of health.

An Italian Military Mission AB 212 helicopter from Malta lowered a rescuer to assess the situation - a situation made difficult by a mass of wireless aerials and fishing equipment on the boat - and the two migrants were subsequently brought to Malta at 10.15 p.m.

The remaining migrants were taken to Tripoli by the fishing vessel.

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