A group of 35 people rescued eight hours away from Malta and Sicily were instead ordered to travel to an Italian port two and a half days away, despite suffering the effect of hypothermia and dehydration, rescuers say. 

The migrants were found adrift in a fibreglass boat in the Mediterranean on Monday, according to Search and Rescue NGO SOS Mediterranee said. 

They were rescued from the search and rescue zone shared by Italy and Malta.

“Survivors declare having spent three nights at sea and suffer from hypothermia and dehydration,” SOS Mediterranee posted on X.

“Three people are being medically monitored.”

In another post, the NGO said Italian Authorities assigned the rescuers to the port of Ortona, in Italy, as a Place of Safety, despite the rescue taking place eight hours of navigation from Malta and Sicily.

“We are heading to Ortona, on the Adriatic Coast, two and a half days of navigation away.”

An AlarmPhone spokesperson told Times of Malta that the 35 people, including seven children, had originally left from Libya.

Times of Malta has contacted the Armed Forces of Malta and the Home Affairs Ministry.

Humanitarian NGOs have repeatedly accused Maltese authorities of ignoring calls from distressed migrants at sea and even illegally pushing them back to Libya.. 

Last month, 22 organisations and academics called on Malta to stop pushing back people at sea to Libya, following allegations that 83 asylum seekers in Malta's search and rescue area were allegedly pushed back.

In 2023, Times of Malta reported that for over a year, the authorities refused to provide data about migrant arrivals, dismissing the request as "curiosity".