A six-month old migrant baby girl in ill-health was rushed ashore today accompanied by her young family. The family arrived ashore ahead of a bigger group of 252 migrants.

The migrants had to be transferred from a merchant vessels to two smaller AFM boats. The rescue operation was made all the more difficult due to the rough seas. The first boat to arrive carried 104 migrants, including 22 children.

 

The second boat to arrive had 147 migrants on it. Many of the migrants claimed to be from Palestine and Syria. 

 “The Operation involved a coordinated AFM effort with the assistance of a merchant vessel to help a group of migrants in distress,” the AFM explained.

AFM maritime assets including the Offshore Patrol Vessel P52 and the Austal Patrol Vessel P24 are underway to render further assistance. The case took place inside Malta Search and Rescue region.