Claim of shipwreck of boat carrying persons in migratory journey and its location confirmed to be unfounded – Malta’s Foreign Affairs Minister
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Allegations that a boat carrying dozens of migrants had sunk in Malta’s Search and Rescue Area were confirmed to be unfounded. Malta’s foreign affairs minister Evarist Bartolo made this declaration on Facebook.
The Minister in his statement referred to sources closely following migration-related developments within the Mediterranean confirmed with Television Malta that the boat which had allegedly sunk was not in Malta’s SAR Area. It furthermore results that the report of the boat in question emerged from the sighting of a vacant and torn dinghy by Frontex aerial reconnaissance.
Frontex later alerted the relevant authorities of the responsible countries concerning the torn dinghy, as well as various EU Member States.
Like this particular vessel, there are many more in circulation in the Mediterranean Sea in the area between Malta and Libya. This is in view of how, following interceptions of migrant boats both by NGOs, merchant vessels and military assets, those boats (mainly dinghies) which are used by migrants are left adrift.
This confirms that the sighting of a derelict dinghy does not automatically mean that migrants were aboard and lost their lives, as is being alleged.
The allegation was made by the NGO Alarm Phone, which maintains regular contact with those who utilise human trafficking services, which alleged that dozens of migrants had drowned when a boat capsized in recent hours between Malta and Libya. This is not the first instance of inaccurate information being communicated.
The allegations of loss of migrants’ lives come in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, which has exacerbated the long-standing impasse which has governed migration within the European Union since as far back as 2008.
Despite how Malta has been among the more enthusiastic and proactive Member States for many years in trying to broker a solution which would involve equal burden sharing of migrant distribution among all of the EU, discussions remain at a standstill, despite how migrant crossings persist.
Declarations by both Malta and Italy that they cannot be considered safe ports in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, and also affirmations by Malta that it cannot guarantee rescues given how it was prioritising resource allocation to COVID-19 containment, a European solution to the migration crisis is yet to emerge.
