Landing of illegal Immigrants in Malta

Around 260 illegal migrants earlier this morning managed to beach their wooden fishing vessel in M'Xlokk Harbour, despite some fairly rough weather blowing at around force 4 to 5 winds.

It was around 03.10hrs this morning, when the Armed Forces of Malta's Rescue Co-Ordination Centre at Luqa Barracks received the migrants' satellite-phone call via the Emergency Services number 112, alleging that their vessel required assistance whilst it had some 200 persons onboard in a yet undetermined position out at sea. The rough sea state was also slowing their voyage's progress, claiming they were seeing the lights of Lampedusa.

Subsequently, by 06.10hrs the first initial anonymous reports started reaching the Police Headquarters' Control Room, that indicated that a boatload of illegal immigrants was approaching the M'Xlokk Harbour from the St. Lucian Tower's proximity. The AFM's Maritime Squadron rescue-launches were immediately dispatched from Haywharf to investigate and render assistance as required.

Shortly afterwards at around 06.15hrs, despite a swell closer to shore, the illegal migrants were reported as having managed to make a beaching of their vessel barely 6 metres away from the rock-cobbled shoreline, which allowed some 50 of their party to make it to land and attempt to make a hasty escape further inland. Malta Police personnel on site immediately gave chase, and along with a sizeable number of AFM personnel who had in the meantime reached the area, successfully apprehending 35 of these illegal migrants in the M'Xlokk area.

In the meantime, Police from the Special Assignments' Group, the Mobile Squad, the Immigration and Security Branches, along with hospital ambulance staff had arrived on site. Efforts to help disembark the remaining illegal migrants were co-ordinated on site by MJHA Detention Service commander, Lieutenant Colonel Brian Gatt and Assistant Police Commissioner Andrew Seychell.

Initial claims and indications made to media representatives on site indicate that the illegal immgrants was made up of a sizeable number Kurd families, Pakistanis, Libyans and other sub-Saharan nationals, yet further Police Immigration Branch investigations are underway to ascertain their nationalities.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said this afternoon that the vast majority of the 262 migrants who landed at Marsaxlokk this morning came from Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Pakistan and Bangladesh and were therefore not eligible for humanitarian protection and could not stay in Malta.

Over the past years the government repatriated several persons who came from those countries since they could be easily identified.

Proceedings have already been started for these migrants to be repatriated too, the ministry said.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• AFM
• FAM
• FORZI
• ARMATI
• ARMED
• FORCES
• MALTA
• ILLEGAL
• MIGRATION
• MALTESE
• MILITARY

[bowman2064]

Stop them on sea. Sink their boats and vessels. Drwown them if necessary. Mine your beaches and open fire at will. This is not just a illigal immigration ... this is a well organized invasion!

[pacemediaTV]

It is not the proper way to stop them coming. What you suggest is even more illegal and inhuman. Just imagine yourself fleeing your country and being fired at and have your boat sunk in the middle of nowhere.

[bowman2064]

Right. Its not fair,and its for sure not human ... but unfortunatly this will be the way it will be handled in a few years by all western states. Spain Italy and Greek do right now (backhandedly). A ramming here a sunken ship there. They have to protect their countrys and they will do it. There is no right to immigrate. Nowhere on this planet. Try this in china and you will end up in a organ bank. You´ve understod? They will sell your organs !

[pacemediaTV]

Two wrongs do not make a right. What is illegal is illegal for everyone and for every occassion. There are international obliogations and human dignity....just put yourself in their shoes...think before you pass judgement on what should be done to eridicate these people.

[ThePakiparis]

international ecnomic system is responsible for this