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BREAKING | Salamis to sail towards Syracuse as Italy accepts to take in migrants
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat says Malta's 'firm decision sent a clear message'.
6 August 2013, 12:00am
Miriam Dalli
Miriam Dalli
1 min read
The M/T Salamis photographed at 32nm off the coast of Malta (Photo: Chris Mangion/MediaToday)
The oil tanker M/T Salamis will be leaving Malta and sail towards Syracuse, Italy, with the 102 migrants it rescued on Monday aboard, government sources have confirmed.
Italy, the government later said in a statement, has accepted to take in the migrants who will in disembark at Syracuse.
Sources had previously confirmed that diplomatic discussions between Malta and Italy intensified in the past hours with the result that Italy has agreed to take in the migrants.
The Maltese government was also in contact with Greece.
The Office of the Prime Minister said Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had thanked Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta and expressed his satisfaction that relations between the two governments would continue to flourish.
"During this crisis Malta held its legitimate position firm... A position which sent a clear message," Muscat said.
The development came hours after home affairs minister Manuel Mallia addressed a press conference insisting Malta would not allow the Liberian-flagged tanker in its territorial waters after having "ignored" specific instructions by the Italian and Maltese governments to deliver the migrants to the nearest port of call, at Khoms in Libya.
Italy's search and rescue centre had been the first centre to receive the call that a group of 102 migrants were in distress off the Libyan coast on Sunday evening. Coordination of the rescue operation by M/T Salamis was in Italy's hands. Over the past two days, both the Malta rescue centre and the Rome rescue centre remained in constant contact.
Miriam Dalli joined MaltaToday.com.mt in 2010 becoming assistant editor f...
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A sign that a good breeze of change has really taken place on glorious 9th March
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Congratulations to Dr Muscat and all those who supported him from every political spectrum. The next thing is to repatriate all the illegal immigrants in Malta whatever status they were given by the ex-Jesuit refugee commissioner. All illegal immigrants, and this includes those who overstayed their visa.
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An objective article by Ms Dalli at last - without pictures of children and titles mentioning kids, pregnant women etc. Ms Dalli did not this time fall for those who like to form opinions through emotional expressions. Her objectivity was victorious. Prosit!
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First test passed with flying colours. Congratulations Hon Prime Minister and Hon Minister for Home Affairs. We have now shown the World that we are here not to be ignored. Next time round, if responsibility sharing is overlooked, push back policy would be the solution. EU Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom should keep this in mind for future reference, and should refrain from meddling in our home affairs policies. Malta is OURS and OURS only.
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Europe is using Malta as an isolation island for these illegal immigrants to stop them from getting on the mainland. In this way it is adopting the same tactics as Australia in forcing illegal immigrants from reaching mainland Australia. This renders Malta as a second, possibly third rate country of the European Union (sic). That is why Europe wanted Malta to join the EU, that is why we have been abandoned with ever increasing populations of black illegal immigrants who, wonder of wonders, arrive in Malta impeccably dressed, with mobile phones, and countless pregnant women who give birth in Malta at our expense and become automatically Maltese citizens. We have had nothing but trouble ever since Malta joined the EU and we should consider leaving the EU as Britain will after 2017.
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I think that this decision is a very bad one. It will only encourage more illegal immigrants to take the plunge. They should have been sent back to Libya.
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I don't care who takes them so long as it is not Malta. In truth I believe that Sweden should have taken them with open arms after Malmstrom declared her support for them. But then it is very easy to cry foul and blame it on others when you are not in the least prepared to take them yourself.
