425 asylum seekers held offshore on four tourist boats will be allowed to disembark in Malta, the government announced on Saturday night.
Newsbook reports that the government said that while Malta still honoured its international obligations, it is still resolute in its path to work with Libya whom, the Maltese government said, is the effective solution to the problem of human trafficking. The Maltese government said that in the past few days, such co-operation had pushed back into Libya over 1,500 migrants “who could easily have landed in Malta” concluded the statement.
The decision came after migrants held indefinitely on the Captain Morgan boat, Europa II, today mounted a protest at their detention, as punishing weather and a five-week imprisonment out at sea pushed people on the brink of sanity, Malta Today reports.
The Times reports that in a statement the government admitted that the decision to bring in the vessel had been made after the situation deteriorated and after a “commotion” on board.
It also admitted having failed so far to persuade other European countries to take some of the migrants from Malta.
In its statement the government was not prepared to put the lives of the crew, including Maltese persons who worked with migrants in danger because of inertia from the EU member states. It said that negotiations for relocation were still underway and the asylum-seeking process for those who so qualified was to be speeded up. Those who do not qualify would be repatriated, added the statement.
It said it was continuing intensive negotiations aimed at securing relocation.
