VALLETTA: Some 60 African migrants were brought to Malta on Friday after their boat capsized close to the Mediterranean island, one of the biggest groups to arrive in recent years.
The group was rescued by Maltese armed forces boats and landed in Bugibba, 10 miles north of Valletta. Eyewitnesses said several ambulances and many police were on the site.
The migrants could be seen huddled in blankets. Some were carried away on stretchers. Rescue officials said one of the arrivals was in poor medical condition.
Migrant arrivals on small boats in Malta have become relatively rare, with just over 200 coming in 2024 compared to more than 2,000 in 2020. Most leave from Libya, heading for Italy.
During a meeting in Malta on November 29, home affairs ministers from Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Spain and Malta declared that strengthening relations with countries of origin and transit was “key” to addressing irregular migration.
Maltese Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said during the meeting: “Our position is to save people. If you deserve asylum, you will get it. If not, then you will be sent back.”
Most of Malta’s migrant arrivals now come to the island on flights from Italy, overstay and work irregularly.
Malta has been working with Libya to prevent migrant departures and has provided training for its coast guard. Camilleri told the ministers in November that every sea voyage taken by irregular asylum seekers carried a risk of death, thus, “by working with Libya and preventing crossings, we are also saving lives.”
“Europe must be the one to decide who comes in,” he said.
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Dozens of migrants brought to Malta after boat capsizes
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Dozens of migrants brought to Malta after boat capsizes
- The group was rescued by Maltese armed forces boats and landed in Bugibba
- The migrants could be seen huddled in blankets
Eritrea withdraws from regional bloc as UN expresses concern over tensions with Ethiopia
NAIROBI: Eritrea on Friday withdrew from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, accusing the East African regional bloc of nations of acting against the country’s interests.
At the same time, the United Nations expressed concern over renewed tensions between Eritrea and neighboring Ethiopia, which signed a peace agreement 25 years ago.
Eritrea’s foreign ministry said in a statement Friday it was withdrawing “from an organization that has forfeited its legal mandate and authority; offering no discernible strategic benefit to all its constituencies and failing to contribute substantively to the stability of the region.”
Eritrea quit IGAD in 2003 and rejoined two years ago, but said Friday that the bloc had failed to contribute to regional stability. IGAD responded by saying Eritrea had not participated in regional activities since it rejoined.
In addition to Eritrea and Ethiopia, IGAD includes Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. The organization works on regional policies concerning trade, customs, transport, communications, agriculture, natural resources and the environment, according to its website.
Eritrea and Ethiopia have in recent months accused each other of interference, sparking concerns over the possibility of a return to hostilities.
Ethiopia said it wants to peacefully gain Red Sea access through Eritrea, which it relied on heavily for trade before the secession. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in September it was a “mistake” to lose access to the sea when Eritrea gained independence in 1993 by seceding from Ethiopia to form a separate nation. Abiy’s rhetoric has been seen as provocative by Eritrea.
The office of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday urged the two countries to “recommit to the vision of lasting peace and the respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The UN cited the Algiers Agreement signed in 2000, which ended nearly three decades of border war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. The UN called for a recommitment to the agreement, which it described as a “crucial framework” for peace.
Eritrea accused Ethiopia in June of having a “long-brewing war agenda” aimed at seizing its Red Sea ports. Ethiopia recently claimed Eritrea was “actively preparing to wage war against it,” as well as supporting Ethiopian rebel groups.
At the same time, the United Nations expressed concern over renewed tensions between Eritrea and neighboring Ethiopia, which signed a peace agreement 25 years ago.
Eritrea’s foreign ministry said in a statement Friday it was withdrawing “from an organization that has forfeited its legal mandate and authority; offering no discernible strategic benefit to all its constituencies and failing to contribute substantively to the stability of the region.”
Eritrea quit IGAD in 2003 and rejoined two years ago, but said Friday that the bloc had failed to contribute to regional stability. IGAD responded by saying Eritrea had not participated in regional activities since it rejoined.
In addition to Eritrea and Ethiopia, IGAD includes Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. The organization works on regional policies concerning trade, customs, transport, communications, agriculture, natural resources and the environment, according to its website.
Eritrea and Ethiopia have in recent months accused each other of interference, sparking concerns over the possibility of a return to hostilities.
Ethiopia said it wants to peacefully gain Red Sea access through Eritrea, which it relied on heavily for trade before the secession. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in September it was a “mistake” to lose access to the sea when Eritrea gained independence in 1993 by seceding from Ethiopia to form a separate nation. Abiy’s rhetoric has been seen as provocative by Eritrea.
The office of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday urged the two countries to “recommit to the vision of lasting peace and the respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The UN cited the Algiers Agreement signed in 2000, which ended nearly three decades of border war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. The UN called for a recommitment to the agreement, which it described as a “crucial framework” for peace.
Eritrea accused Ethiopia in June of having a “long-brewing war agenda” aimed at seizing its Red Sea ports. Ethiopia recently claimed Eritrea was “actively preparing to wage war against it,” as well as supporting Ethiopian rebel groups.
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