Dozens of migrants are rescued from the Mediterranean and taken ashore in Malta but coastguard is unable to save at least two people found on stricken boat
- Dozens of migrants rescued by Maltese Army trying to cross into Europe
- At least two bodies were recovered during the rescue mission
- Malta embroiled in a row with Italy over migrant rescues in the Mediterranean
More than a dozen migrants have been rescued south of Malta as they tried to cross the Mediterranean from North Africa.
The Maltese Armed Forces picked up the migrants some 68 miles south of the island nation and brought them to port in Valetta today.
At least two people did not survive the attempt to journey across the sea, as bodies were seen being removed from the rescue vessel.
Saved: Migrants are seen on board of a patrol boat, after being rescued some 68 miles south of Malta, earlier Wednesday
Victim: The migrants are seen sitting next to the covered body of one of their fellow travellers., who did not survive the journey to Europe
Arrivals: The patrol boat steers into the harbour in Valletta with the rescued
The incident took place during a tense time for Malta as the small island nation is embroiled in a row over migrants with Italy.
It comes just two days after Italian Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli on called for sanctions against Malta, accusing it of not rescuing migrant boats in the Mediterranean and leaving the burden to Italy.
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Last week, Maltese army vessels chose not to aid a boat carrying 190 migrants which was crossing international waters, saying it was not in distress.
The Maltese government said the migrants refused help because they wanted to reach the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Once closer to Lampedusa, the Italian coastguard vessel Diciotti picked it up.
Images show more than a dozen men having been saved by the Maltese army
One man makes it off the boat barefoot having been rescued among several dozen others
Saved: The migrants crouch down on deck while they wait to be allowed to disembark in Malta
The Diciotti has since been allowed to dock in Sicily, but the Italian government has refused to let them disembark.
‘They are now on board a military vessel, which practically means on Italian soil. I expect that Italy would ask other EU states to help, it is up to them, but Malta followed international law,’ Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Sunday in a radio interview.
Muscat did not comment on Toninelli’s call for sanctions.
The row was the latest tussle illustrating how politically fraught the issue of coping with seaborne migrants remains despite a migration deal EU leaders agreed on in June.
Soldiers look at the bodies of two migrants being taken off the rescue boat
There have been other stand-offs between Italy and Malta.
In July, Malta rebuffed Italian pressure to aid a boat carrying hundreds of migrants in the Mediterranean.
Flows on one of the main migration routes into Europe – across the Mediterranean Sea from Libya to Italy – has tapered off as Libyan factions have cracked down on people smugglers.
But people are still dying at sea and summer is peak season for migrants attempting the crossing, often in overcrowded, unseaworthy boats.
Since taking office in June, Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has led a campaign to stop the activity of humanitarian rescue ships out of Italy’s ports and has toughened the stance on allowing ships to dock in the country’s ports.
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