VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) confirmed on that 35 migrants were rescued from a boat in distress some 69 nautical miles east of Malta.
The rescue followed an emergency alert from migrant hotline AlarmPhone, which reported that 36 people were stranded after their engine failed as night fell.
An AFM spokesperson said the migrants were “rescued and handed over to competent authorities upon arrival in port,” in line with procedures for asylum applications. Those denied refugee status will be returned to their countries of origin.
The vessel was located within Malta’s Search and Rescue Region, making the AFM responsible for coordinating assistance.
AlarmPhone later reported that the Italian coastguard claimed a Maltese patrol boat carried out the rescue, but it remained unclear whether the asylum seekers were on an AFM vessel or what their immediate destination was.
-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS)
