The Children’s Commissioner, Pauline Miceli, today expressed concern about the plight of migrant children who have been stranded on a ship for 10 days, but stopped short of saying that they should disembark in Malta.

The Commissioner for Children, in a statement, said she is following the plight of the 160 migrants aboard the Open Arms Ship, which has been stranded out at sea since 2 August, “with deep concern.   The Office believes that the fundamental right to health and safety of those aboard the sea vessel, especially that of the children and unaccompanied minors, trumps any diplomatic negotiations that are holding up the disembarkation of these migrants in a safe port. 

“The Office therefore calls on all political actors concerned, at national and European Level, to cooperate on a humanitarian level to ensure that these migrants are brought to safety and allowed to disembark.”

Malta has so far offered to take in 39 of the migrants who were rescued by Open Arms in Malta’s search and rescue zone, but the NGO is insisting that the other 121 migrants who had been rescued earlier are also brought to shore.