A better-equipped and larger Captain Morgan ferry is replacing the two vessels currently carrying around 150 rescued migrants outside of Maltese territorial waters.

Captain Morgan’s Atlantis left on Thursday, with the other two boats expected to arrive later on today.

Malta has been using Captain Morgan vessels to house migrants found at sea ever since 1st May.

The government is spending an estimated €6,000 a day. It has already forked out anywhere between €42,000 and €84,000 in direct orders to finance the humanitarian mission.

The plan is a temporary measure to ease diplomatic tensions and humanitarian concerns brought on by the government’s decision to close its ports during the COVID-19 pandemic.

EU neighbours Italy and Spain have also closed their ports. So has Libya, but that’s due to an ongoing civil war.

Fifty-seven migrants were first taken on board. However, that number increased by 105 after two boats were saved in rescue operations overnight on the 6th and 7th May.

Malta’s government has been reluctant to allow them entry without an immediate plan to relocate the migrants throughout the bloc. So far, only Portugal has said it is ready to accept six people on board the vessel.

Malta has even asked the EU to help fund the Captain Morgan mission, but it seems that it is yet to take form.