Distressed People Allegedly Ignored By Armed Forces Of Malta In SAR Zone Rescued By NGO
In a recent incident, Malta’s Armed Forces (AFM) have come under criticism for reportedly neglecting the rescue of distressed people migrants within Malta’s Search and Rescue (SAR) Zone.
This report has been brought to light by the NGO Alarm Phone, a critical hotline for those trapped in dire situations in the Mediterranean.
The NGO stated that the migrants reported seeing AFM in the vicinity only for them to disappear without help shortly after.
They were finally helped when a boat from Doctors Without Borders (MSF Sea), a worldwide help group, came to their rescue on Saturday.
The NGO strongly criticized the lack of help from the government of Malta after it was revealed someone fell off the rubber boat before the Doctors Without Borders rescue could get there, highlighting the human lives at stake.
🔴 BREAKING NEWS
This morning, the team on #GeoBarents rescued 13 people, including 2 women and 2 unaccompanied minors, who were in distress on a unseaworthy rubber boat.
The survivors had spent more than 3 days at the #Mediterranean sea. pic.twitter.com/rBcWIZNKWB
— MSF Sea (@MSF_Sea) June 24, 2023
Malta has a history of accusations, with claims of refusing assistance to asylum seekers and allegedly collaborating with Libyan coastguards to execute pushbacks.
Despite Malta’s denials, a report from the Council of Europe (CoE) suggests that life-threatening risks at sea are exacerbated by frequent failures to respond and glaring delays in attending distress calls.
The government’s stance that Malta lacks the capacity to accommodate asylum seekers is challenged by the fact that only 92 individuals, including an unaccompanied child, have been brought to Malta after being rescued at sea this year.
Photo Credits: @MSF_Sea
Who do you think is responsible for the lives lost?