A group of people brought to Malta aboard a migrant sea rescue vessel two weeks ago left the country for Luxembourg on Sunday morning, as part of a deal to relocate the migrants. 

The group of 234 people were brought to Europe by the MV Lifeline, which docked in Malta late in June following a high seas stand-off between the country and Italy.

The vessel was given permission to dock after the Maltese government reached a deal – which it described as a “unique, ad hoc” one – with eight other European countries to jointly relocate the migrants.


A first group of migrants left for France earlier this week. A second group has now followed, with Luxembourg fulfilling its end of the deal after its immigration authorities had screened each of the individuals in its group, the Maltese government said in a statement on Sunday.

Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, and Norway have also committed their participation to relocate a number of migrants to their respective countries.

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