Malta Denies Port To Dock 278 Migrants Aboard the Open Arms

Migrants rescued by the Open Arms humanitarian ship, Sept. 14, 2020. | Photo: Twitter/ @GiansandroMerli

The Spanish NGO Open Arms denounced that Malta denied its ship a port to disembark and assistance for urgent evacuations of people with complicated health conditions.

"Of the 278 people on board, all of them need to disembark and immediate assistance, some for the violence suffered, others for rape, for burns. In addition, we have 50 unaccompanied minors. All of them also need psychological assistance for the torture they have suffered. in Libya ", Open Arms Director Oscar Camps denounced.

"We have repeatedly asked Malta to take responsibility for these people and have received repeated refusals. They have even rejected the evacuation of some seriously burned people and pregnant women."

The Open Arms vessel carried out its last rescue of migrants during the afternoon of last Friday when a merchant ship alerted about a barge in danger whose occupants had been without food or water for three days.

"It seems incredible that this continues to occur in waters of European responsibility," Camps said, adding that the authorities have also rejected the possibility that the humanitarian ship could approach the island to seek shelter from the strong storm that hit the area.

After spending several months undergoing remodeling in Burriana (Spain), the Open Arms ship set sail for the Central Mediterranean with devices to detect the coronavirus and members of the NGO Emergency.

Last weekend, Italy allowed the 27 migrants who had spent 39 days aboard a Danish oil tanker to disembark after Malta's refusal. They were transferred to the Mare Jonio ship, which is owned by the NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans.

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