MaltaMedia.com

A group of 281 sub-saharan illegal immigrants were earlier on Tuesday intercepted onboard a fishing-boat by an Armed Forces of Malta patrol vessel off the coast of Gozo.

The group claimed to be Eritrean, and had left Libya some two days before. Their vessel had been spotted initially in the morning by on overflying locally-registered private aircraft at around 11:00hrs, in a position 7 nautical miles west of Gozo. An AFM Air Wing PBN-Islander aircraft, which happened to be on patrol, was purposely diverted to further investigate the sighting.

As the illegal immigrants’ vessel was observed closing to the Gozitan shores, the 1st Regiment’s Gozo Troop was alerted and mobilized to the Xlendi Bay area along with members from the Gozo Police.

By noon, the AFM Maritime Squadron’s Austal-class patrol vessel P-24 had intercepted the illegal immigrants’ fishing-boat, in a position just half a mile off from the Xlendi coastline. Amongst those onboard, there were 70 women and 26 infant children, with varying ages from toddlers to 3-year olds. By then their vessel had lost the power from one of their two engines.

Given the large number of migrants, another patrol vessel, the P-24 was sent to the area to provide assistance, whilst additional manpower was mustered from 1st Regiment’s barracks in Hal Far, and deployed to Cirkewwa quay. An additional two dinghies were also deployed from Haywharf Base to render assistance.

Once landed and searched, the illegal immigrants were taken onboard both military and police transport to Police Headquarters for processing by the Immigration Branch. The migrants’ fishing boat is being towed to Haywharf Base. Tuesday’s arrival brings the total to more than 800 landings in Malta in less than 24 hours.