MV Lifeline, the vessel carrying hundreds of migrants off the coast of Libya and is currently at the centre of another diplomatic standoff between Malta and Italy, breached its obligations to abide by instructions given to them by the competent SAR authorities, aovernment spokesperson told The Malta Independent, reiterating that ""as in every case, Malta follows its legal obligations according to all applicable conventions."
Italy's populist, anti-migrant interior minister said Friday that Malta should allow a Dutch-flagged rescue ship carrying migrants rescued from rubber dinghies off the Libyan coast to make port there because the ship is now in Maltese water.
"We ask humanly and politically that Malta finally opens one of its ports and lets these desperate people disembark," and then seize the ship, Matteo Salvini said.
Contacted by this newsroom, a goverment spokesperson said:
"As in every case, Malta follows its legal obligations according to all applicable conventions.
"With regards to the MV LIFELINE, according to MRCC Rome, the SAR cases were carried out within the Libyan Search and Rescue Region and were initially handled by MRCC Rome, with the Libyan Authority assuming the responsibility of the SAR cases.
"In these cases, Malta was neither the coordinating nor the competent authority.
"It transpires that MV LIFELINE breached its obligations to abide by instructions given to them by the competent SAR authorities in this case, namely Libyan Y coastguard or Italian coastguard, whoever of these two was coordinating the case.
"Furthermore, according to the Dutch authorities, MV LIFELINE is using an International Certificate for Pleasure Craft and although it has a Dutch document, it is not sailing under the country's flag. This is a very serious legal and operational concern.
"A number of member states, including Malta, are in contact on this case.
The rescue operations took place in areas between Libya and Lampedusa"
According to Reuters, the Spanish government has been in contact with the Maltese authorities to offer humanitarian aid.
Salvini on Thursday said he would not allow the ship operated by the German NGO Mission Lifeline to enter Italian ports, saying that it had acted improperly by taking on board the 224 migrants that the Italian coast guard had assigned to the Libyan coast guard to rescue. Salvini said the rescue was in Libyan waters, which Lifeline denies.