An Armed Forces of Malta offshore patrol vessel has rescued 105 immigrants on the high seas earlier this afternoon, after their large rubber dinghy developed engine trouble during their journey northwards.
The Maritime Squadron’s P-61 was conducting a routine FRONTEX patrol as part of joint-operation Nautilus 2009, when it was diverted to a position south-west of Malta. The rubber-dinghy had been earlier in the day sighted by an AFM Air Wing Islander aircraft.
Once the rubber-dinghy was located by P-61, it was established that the drifting illegal migrants were made up of 85 men and 20 women, who are claiming to be from Eritrea.
The illegal migrants were transferred onboard P-61, and the vessel is now steaming back to Malta.
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