MaltaMedia.com

Four illegal immigrants were landed in Malta early Sunday afternoon because they required medical assistance, after they were conveyed to the AFM’s Maritime Squadron Base in Haywharf, Floriana.

This group of four migrants was made up of two men, one woman and a baby. They had previously formed part of a group of around 80 illegal immigrants, who were travelling on the high seas northwards to Italy in a 10-metre rubber-dinghy.

The illegal immigrants’ dinghy had been sighted on Saturday morning by a German Border-Police Puma helicopter, whilst conducting a FRONTEX patrol to the south of Malta. The Maritime Squadron’s Protector-class patrol vessel P-51 was immediately dispatched to the dinghy’s reported location. It was ascertained once on the spot that the group of migrants included 16 women.

Throughout the rest of their journey, the illegal immigrants were also overflown by an Italian aircraft and a helicopter, the latter purposely sent out from the island of Lampedusa. Subsequently, an Italian navy vessel approached P-51 once the migrants’ dinghy had reached an area 25 nautical miles from Capo Passero, Sicily.

By noon on Sunday, another two Italian patrolboats reached the area to render assistance as required. The Italian Guardia di Finanza vessel ‘Denaro was accompanied by the Guardia Costeria vessel ‘CP-408′. The immigrants were later taken onboard the ‘Denaro’ where they were examined by a medic onboard.

The AFM patrol boat P-51 returned to its homeberth at Hay Wharf Base at around 13.30 CEST with those four immigrants requiring medical assistance. The woman and baby were taken to hospital and kept for further observation.