Malta grants safe haven to migrant rescue ship

AN aid ship stuck at sea for six days will be allowed to dock in Malta, and more than 200 migrants on board will be distributed among eight European Union states.

The announcement by Malta’s prime minister, Joseph Muscat, ends Europe’s second impasse in recent weeks over the fate of people saved at sea amid rising political resistance to their welcome.

Mr Muscat said that once in port, the Lifeline Mission ship would be impounded and the crew placed under investigation for allegedly operating illegally – including violating rescue protocols and operating without the correct registration.

The migrants, who were rescued off Libya’s coast, would be vetted to determine if they are eligible for political asylum or if they are economic migrants to be sent back to their countries of origin.

Mr Muscat said Malta has no legal obligation to act since the rescue happened in Libyan waters, but said it was willing to act “before the situation escalates to a humanitarian crisis”.

The eight countries to accept vetted migrants from the ship are France, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Malta itself.

While Mr Muscat emphasised that the Lifeline case was unique because of the alleged violations of the crew, the refusal by Italy and Malta to open their ports to the ship – and the haggling among EU states over how to distribute the migrants – showed a hardening of positions as EU leaders head into a summit where migration policies are expected to be debated.

Earlier this month, Italy and Malta both refused port to French humanitarian ship the Aquarius.