Sicilian magistrates question Malta’s handling of migrants
Karl Stagno-Navarra
Magistrates in Pozzallo, Sicily, announced yesterday that they have initiated investigations into the Maltese armed forces handling of yet another distressed migrant boat which resulted in the death of one man and 30 hospitalised in serious condition.
209 migrants, aboard an old wooden fishing boat, were taken to safety in Sicily on Monday afternoon having braved gale-force winds and rough seas for five days.
On their second day, the migrants launched an SOS via satellite phone to an Italian rescue centre, which was also relayed to the AFM by the Italian authorities.
Italian-registered tanker ‘Antignone’, sailing towards Benghazi, intercepted the migrants, but could not take them on board due to the rough seas and the high risk of smashing the boat against its high starboard side.
While further repeated calls for rescue were made to Italy, an AFM patrol boat P-61 was dispatched to the area and “monitored” the passage of the migrants through the Maltese search and rescue region.
An AFM spokesman said that the migrants refused to be assisted by the Maltese patrol boat and insisted to be allowed to Italy.
According to the magistrates in Pozzallo, it is “highly unlikely” that the migrants refused to be rescued by the Maltese given that three out of the five days at sea were the “worst ordeal” they could have possibly endured.
“If one person was dead and 30 others have been hospitalised in serious condition, how can it be that they refused to be rescued?” they asked.
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