Italy takes migrants after attempted pushback, Malta accused of refusing rescue

A group of 86 migrants adrift on a wooden boat inside Malta’s search-and-rescue zone have been handed over to Italian authorities.

The Nadir, a new human rights monitoring ship operated by German charity ResQship, found the 86 people in Malta SAR zone at around noon on Wednesday.

The 86 people had contacted the organisation Alarm Phone in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Several children and three pregnant women were among those on board.

When the monitoring ship alerted he Malta Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) to the emergency, they were told that a nearby merchant ship, the Lady Nuray, had been ordered to change course and head toward the refugees’ position.

But the Lady Nuray refused to change course, claiming it had not been contacted.

“The so-called Libyan Coastguard has been at the scene. They strongly urged our crew to participate in illegally pushing back the people to Libya,” the ResQship warned later that evening.

This afternoon, the ResQship said that Italian Coastguards had come to help, and took the migrants to a safe port.

“Huge relief aboard the Nadir. In the early morning hours, the Italian coastguard offered their help and sent a ship that now brings the 86 people to a safe port in Italy. We thank the Italian authorities for their support,” ResQship posted on social media.