The operation to rescue migrants who have been on the Sea Watch 3 vessel took place in waters which were closer to Italy than Malta, the government said in a statement this evening.

With reference to public statements made by Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio with regard to the migrants on SeaWatch 3, the Government of Malta stated that the NGO boat in question conducted the rescue of the said migrants in a location which was outside the search and rescue region of Malta.

The rescue was made closer to Italy than to Malta and while the NGO requested Italy to provide a safe port in which to disembark the rescued migrants, Italy refused to allocate a safe port which is why the NGO vessel was forced to sail further away from the point of rescue and to seek refuge within Maltese territorial waters.

Italy has closed its ports to all NGOs and also to other rescues where Italy was bound to disembark in accordance with international law, the government said.

The Government of Malta said that the Italian Deputy Prime Minister should check his facts before drafting such public statements and refrain from making such statements in the future.

Deputy Prime Minister Di Maio is well-aware that the European Commission is currently coordinating a voluntary reallocation programme for around 300 migrants rescued in the Central Mediterranean, the statement added. Therefore, rather than make such statements against Malta and European solidarity, Italy should participate in the reallocation currently being coordinated.

The Sea-Watch 3 was on Wednesday given permission to move closer to Malta so that the vessel could take shelter from bad weather that is closing in on the islands.

The vessel, operated by the German NGO Sea-Watch, rescued the migrants following a distress call on 22 December, and has been stranded at sea ever since.

There are four women, three unaccompanied minors, two young children and a baby amongst the 32 rescued migrants onboard the Sea-Watch 3, along with 22 crew members.