Malta accused of ignoring distress calls
LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The German NGO Sea Watch accused the Maltese authorities of ignoring calls for immediate assistance to migrants in distress. The NGO said that its monitoring aircraft Seabird spotted a distress case this week where a group of migrants onboard a boat were sheltered by the PAN MULTIARA merchant vessel from high waves for ten hours. Sea Watch remarked that the Maltese authorities neither answered the calls for assistance nor offered to rescue the migrants while the nearest rescue vessel had no permission to rescue the people in distress. Sea Watch described Malta’s non-response as “disgraceful”. Meanwhile, the Tunisian authorities are under heavy criticism as a group of migrants are feared that were taken back to Tunisia illegally. A group of 50 migrants managed to find shelter on a gas platform, while crossing the Mediterranean Sea. However, a Tunisian coast guard ship was immediately on the scene for further investigations.(ITALPRESS).
Foto: Agenzia Fotogramma
Source: medNews