Italian warship rescues immigrants but refused entry in Malta
Posted on March 16th, 2009
An Italian navy vessel of the Denaide-class, the “Minerva”, on Sunday evening at 21.15hrs rescued around 65 immigrants from an 8-foot rubber dinghy at sea from a position around 40 nautical miles south-south-west of Lampedusa and around 116 nautical miles from Malta on Sunday evening at 21115CEST.
According to media statement by the AFM, the persons at sea were rescued by the navy surface unit, and though the island of Lampedusa was much closer, the Italian authorities requested that the rescued persons are landed in Malta.
As Lampedusa was the nearest safe port at the time of the rescue, Malta has indicated that the rescued persons should be disembarked in that location, as per international obligations.
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