On Friday a group of 171 migrants were brought to Malta by the Armed Forced of Malta, Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici confirmed that these were not allowed entry into Lampedusa.

The patrol boat arrived at Haywharf at around 05:00hrs CEST.

The group of 151 men, 17 women and three children were intercepted by the P-61, when it was scouring an area south of Lampedusa to search for survivors of Wednesday’s capsizing incident. Di-VE reported that as they were found closer to Lampedusa than to Malta the patrol boat sought to enter the Italian island.

The Italian authorities refused access, and the patrol boat brought the immigrants to Malta.

The Times of Malta reported that Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici accused Italy of having reneged on in its legal and humanitarian obligations as the rescued migrants who were found on Italy’s doorstep were not allowed entry into Lampedusa.

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