Editorial: A shameful abdication of duty

In September 2015, the disturbing image of three-year-old Alan Kurdi found lifeless on a Turkish beach proved to be a moment of reckoning for Europe.

Symbolising the horrors of the Mediterranean migrant crisis, his death jolted European leaders into a rare display of compassion as they vowed to embrace a more humanitarian approach to try to protect those fleeing conflict and poverty.

Fast forward 10 years and Europe’s empathy towards sea migrants has all but fizzled out. Integration has become a dirty word and tough action against migration has been used for political expediency.

This disgraceful shift in attitude has been especially evident in Malta, where the government has increasingly turned a blind eye to its responsibilities under international law. And, despite the rhetoric, disregard for human life has become the norm.

Leaked documents obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and shared with Times of Malta and other media partners from the European External Action Service expose Malta’s continued refusal to conduct rescue missions in its designated search and rescue (SAR) zone.

An internal memo from the EU’s IRINI naval operation explicitly states: “Malta never responds and refuses to follow these operations.” This is not an isolated claim from disgruntled activists but a damning assessment from an official EU military source.

Migrant NGOs have long accused Malta of pursuing a “murderous policy” – ignoring distress calls, delaying responses and outsourcing its responsibilities to Libyan or Tunisian authorities, who then forcibly return migrants to dire conditions. The government insists this is not the case but who can challenge its claims when the action is taking place in the open seas?

Between January and October 2024, Malta rescued 92 people, and the Italian coastguard rescued 12,399. The Libyan coastguard intercepted 8,179, and NGO vessels saved 8,271. These numbers expose a deliberate strategy: if Malta does not respond, the problem becomes someone else’s burden. What is equally disturbing is the lack of official response. NGOs repeatedly report that the Maltese authorities do not answer distress calls or emails. We know the NGOs aren’t making this up. Whenever journalists send questions to the AFM asking about boats in distress, we rarely receive a response.

Malta’s Rescue Coordination Centre, in reality, functions more as a deflection office, shirking responsibility while migrant boats drift, sink, or are intercepted and dragged back to Libya.

It would be naive to assume that this damning report will lead to any meaningful consequences. Malta has mastered the art of avoidance, hiding behind bureaucracy for years. In fact, a home affairs ministry spokesperson claims all emergency notifications are “investigated, assessed, prioritised and acted upon accordingly”. And, if Malta’s SAR responsibilities are simply to coordinate rescues using “any available resources”, why are so many distress calls ignored?

The sharp decline in migrant arrivals – 90 per cent our home affairs minister bragged to his Irish counterpart last weekend – is no surprise when you refuse to act, forcing migrants to land elsewhere, return to the dangers they fled or else let them drown. In reality, with rising right-wing populism, Malta’s leaders understand that neglecting migrants carries little political cost.

Malta’s vast SAR zone, stretching from Tunisia to Crete, exceeds its capacity, yet, we refuse to relinquish control due to financial benefits. In other words, we dodge responsibility, seeking authority without accountability – much like Donald Trump, undermining allies without considering future consequences.

We are no way advocating Malta should bear the burden of Europe’s migration crisis. But to systematically ignore boats in distress, refuse cooperation and coordinate illegal pushbacks is a dereliction of duty. Malta has not only turned its back on international law but has forfeited its own humanity in the process.