The decision by the Maltese government to save a group of migrants and keep them on a private vessel off the Maltese coast was a "strange" one, Opposition Leader Adrian Delia said on Saturday.

In an interview, Delia accused the government of being populist and changing its version frequently, according to what is convenient at the time.

Earlier this week, the government said it had coordinated the rescue of 57 migrants, with the help of a fishing boat. The migrants were not brought to Malta. Instead, they were taken to a Captain Morgan vessel anchored 13 miles off the Maltese coastline. The vessel was chartered by the government and the migrants on board have food and medical supplies, the government said. It reiterated that the Maltese ports will remain closed to migrants while the country deals with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Asked what he would do if he were Prime Minister, Delia said he cannot speak of individual cases since the Prime Minister was refusing to share information about the latest cases.

For the PN, he said, life comes before everything else. "First and foremost, we have to save people's lives. Secondly, we have to abide by international obligations. We do not get to decide about this. If we want to go to the EU to tell them that we are doing our part, we first have to follow the law."

The decision to keep the migrants on a vessel out at sea was a strange one he said. "This government is playing the populist game. Sometimes it speaks of pushpacks, and sometimes it says it want to save lives. Sometimes it says Malta is rescuing people and sometimes it says we cannot perform any rescue operations."

Delia insisted that search and rescue is an international obligation. "People who have a right to asylum have to be disembarked in the nearest safe port. Those who do not should be repatriated. The problem with the Maltese government is that it keeps changing its tune according to what is convenient at the time. Even on the role of Neville Gafa, they gave two different versions."

Delia said people have a right to know the truth and the government should declare what its principles are.

He appealed to the government not to turn the issue into a political football, saying that it was "totally disloyal" for it to try and give the impression that the Opposition is against saving lives or against the AFM.