Migrant Rescue Ship Banned From Leaving Malta, Accuses Government Of Preventing It From Saving Lives
A migrant search and rescue vessel has accused the Maltese government of preventing it from saving people’s lives after it was denied exit from the country’s ports.
The Sea Watch 3, run by the German NGO Sea-Watch, arrived in Malta in June for repair works. It tried to sail out this morning but was forced to stay here by the Maltese port agents in accordance with a new government policy.
“Our vessel is detained in Malta without any legal grounds provided by the authorities,” Sea-Watch said in a statement. “The lack of permission to sail from Malta is not a registration issue, but a political campaign to stop civil rescue at sea. While rescue assets are blocked in port, recent days have become the deadliest this year. Yesterday, the UNHCR reported another 63 people missing, while on Friday over 100 people had drowned, including babies and children. At the moment, there is no suitable rescue asset left in the area of operation, despite the fact that the Sea-Watch 3 is well equipped and ready to sail. We strongly urge the Maltese government to stop hindering rescue workers, as human lives are at acute risk.”
“While we are hindered from leaving port, people are drowning. Any further death at sea is on the account of those preventing rescue from taking place. Saving lives at sea is non-negotiable”
A spokesperson for Sea-Watch told Lovin Malta that Malta’s blanket ban on search-and-rescue vessels is in breach of international law and pledged to fight it internationally.
Malta last week banned migrant search and rescue vessels from entering and exiting its ports, pending an investigation by the police and Transport Malta into the Lifeline vessel.
The Lifeline, run by a separate German NGO, docked in Malta last week with 234 sub-Saharan asylum seekers on board after Italy denied it entry. However, it encountered problems with the Maltese authorities, after they found out the ship wasn’t registered as a search-and-rescue vessel, but as a pleasure craft flying the Dutch flag.
Its captain Claus-Peter Reisch was interrogated by the police and will be prosecuted by citation this morning on charges of illegal ship registration and of sailing into Maltese waters without a license by Transport Malta. The authorities have also requested the court to confiscate the vessel.
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