Controversial anti-immigration vessel sails close to Maltese waters

A vessel belonging to an anti-migrant organisation is currently stationed just outside Maltese waters.

The ship, C-Star, belongs to an anti-immigration movement called Defend Europe, an organisation set up by French, Italian and German citizens in a bid to stop migrant boats reaching European shores. The group has managed to raise tens of thousands of euros through which they managed to rent the 40metre vessel.

The C-star has been patrolling the Mediterranean, from the Libyan coast to Sicily. On their Twitter account, the group boasts of managing to reduce irregular immigration by 76%.

So far it is not clear where the ship is headed. Local NGOs have already warned the vessel to stay away from Malta.

Posting on social media, Aditus Foundation called on the Maltese authorities not to allow the C Star to enter Malta.

“We are calling on the Maltese authorities not to allow the vessel to dock in Malta, and not to cooperate with an organisation that has demonstrated itself to be racist, and with a mission that clearly aims to violate basic human rights,” the NGO wrote on Facebook.

This incident comes only a week after search and rescue vessel Golfo Azzurro was stranded outside Maltese waters in a diplomatic dispute between Maltese and Italian authorities.