History repeats itself as a second vessel is rejected from docking – just days after the Aquarius was stranded for a week.
We try to present you a status update based on the media reports on the story.
Updated 1455
Maltatoday reports that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that Malta does not have any obligations towards rescue vessel MV Lifeline, in the wake of yet another diplomatic standoff between Malta and Italy • Diplomatic sources say talks involving Spain, Italy, France, and Malta are ongoing.
Earlier
The Times of Malta reported that Spain offered humanitarian help in the Mediterranean migration crisis for the second time in as many weeks as a vessel carrying 239 immigrants entered Maltese waters. Although the Dutch-flagged ship the Lifeline, run by German charity Mission Lifeline, was in Malta’s search and rescue area, sources said the island had not received a request for assistance from either the Rome coordination centre or the ship’s captain.
“We have been in contact with Malta to offer support if humanitarian help is needed by the boat in the next few hours,” Spanish government spokeswoman Isabel Celaa said during a news conference following the weekly Cabinet meeting. The announcement followed Italy’s appeal to Malta to open its ports to the rescue ship and arrest its crew”.
Malta and Italy have both refused to take in Lifeline, which is carrying more than 200 rescued migrants. Italy hit out at the island for rejecting the boat, calling the decision “absurd” and “inhumane”.
TgCom highlights the position of Italian Minister Toninelli.
MaltaTodayreports that “Tensions between Malta and Italy over migration continued to rise on Friday evening as Italy’s Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninelli accused Malta of inhumanity towards migrants rescued by the NGO-operated vessel, MV Lifeline. In a tweet on Friday evening Toninelli said Europe was reflecting Malta’s inhumanity.
“The ship in the island’s SAR is in difficulty because of its irresponsibility, with 230 migrants on board,” tweeted the Italian minister. “No Other country coordinates rescues and therefore Valletta is even more responsible.”Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia rebutted the Italian minister’s claims. Farrugia said the rescue had taken place within the Libyan Search and Rescue region between Lampedusa and Libya, adding that the operation was coordinated by Italian authorities with Malta not having been involved. Farrugia said the Lifeline bore considerable responsibility after it broke international rules by not following instructions given by the rescue coordination centre in Rome. “Now loitering in international waters risking delicate situation. Vessel claims Dutch flag but Netherlands says it is simply pleasure boat registration,” Farrugia said.
The Malta Independentreports that MV Lifeline, the vessel carrying hundreds of migrants off the coast of Libya and is currently at the centre of another diplomatic standoff between Malta and Italy, breached its obligations to abide by instructions given to them by the competent SAR authorities, a government spokesperson told The Malta Independent, reiterating that “as in every case, Malta follows its legal obligations according to all applicable conventions.”
Corriere della sera presents a series of questions and answers about some of the issues rising from this case. It might help understand some of the issues at stake. You can read it here.
