110 Illegal Migrants Landed in Malta

A particularly busy Sunday morning on the 24 Aug., 2008, saw 110 illegal migrants being landed in Malta during two separate incidents which saw Police and Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) personnel working jointly in tackling the seasonal illegal migration phenomenon.

It was at 0255hrs earlier this morning when the Spanish fishing-vessel HERNANDEZ reported 79 illegal migrants adrift in a rubber-dinghy taking in water and with outboard engine problems in a position 64 nautical miles (NM) south of Malta. Initial reports also indicated one of the migrants was in an unconscious state, and immediately taken onboard the fishing-vessel for first aid treatment. The group was made up of 75 men and 4 women, all claiming to be from Sudan.

A Malta-bound merchant-vessel, the STADT GOSLAR, registered in Antigua and Barbuda and due at the Malta Freeport on Wednesday, was diverted to the scene to render assistance as required. By 0820hrs, the merchant-vessel had reached the HERNANDEZ's position which was by then 53 MN from Malta. A mid-sea transfer of the weak migrants was slowly completed, and the merchant-vessel immediately started steaming at speed towards Marsaxlokk Harbour.

Subsequently, the illegal migrants were again transferred in a delicate operation onto two AFM Maritime Squadron patrolcraft - P24 and P-32 in force 4 to 5 seas, and ferried to the Wied il-Buni quayside in Birzebbugia to awaiting Police immigration and Detention Services personnel.

Near simultaneously to this operation's closure, 31 other illegal immigrants were spotted by the AFM's Vessel Traffic Station's CCTV at the Delimara Observation and Radar Post making landfall at il-Kalanka z-Zghira. Some 21 migrants made it ashore as civic-minded members of the general public flooded the 112 emergency phone number to report as the well the occurrence. Another 10 migrants remained onboard their fibre-glass boat, and in attempting to pursue their voyage to Italy, they were given chase and intercepted by a Police A.L.E. vessel. This group of migrants was made up of 27 males, 2 women and 2 children.

The Police authorities are investigating both cases. Contrary to some international wire-news service reports, alleging the loss of some 27 migrants from the fishing-vessel HERNANDEZ's group of illegal migrants, no persons were lost as sea.