Update: The Armed Forces of Malta were involved in a large scale rescue operation last night involving a vessel in distress with around 300 migrants onboard some 40 nautical miles West of Malta. A number of persons were evacuated by helicopter as they required urgent medical assistance.

The AFM’s Alouette III helicopter and an Italian Military Mission helicopter (AB212) took part in this operation under the coordination of the AFM’s Operations Centre in Luqa.

Three AFM Maritime assets were in the area together with Italian Coast Guard vessels and transferred the migrants onto the Maltese and Italian Patrol vessels.

The AFM brought ashore 290 migrants at the Maritime Squadron base in the early hours of this morning.

Update: Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muscat, said this morning that he had telephoned the EU Council President Hermann Van Rompu to give him formal notice that Malta would use its powers to demand solidarity on immigration.

“The Prime Minister said in a press conference this mornng that “he wanted the same solidarity that the EU showed in the banking crises and other issues.

“This is a Mediterranean crisis.” The PM continued, “as for the 300 illegal immigrants, Malta would be compassionate with the weak but strong with politicians,” saying that “he did not mind being known as hard or heartless on the issue.”

“The immigrants were rescued due to the exceptional circumstances. The boat was sinking with women and children on board.”

Photograph – AFM Press Office shows the AFM Patol Vessel P23 which had deployed its RHIB to investigate the migrant vessel.

Permalink: 290 migrants rescued by AFM & brought to Malta overnight