The allegations that Malta has in some way refused to intervene in all Search and Rescue operations in Maltese waters are incorrect and misleading, the AFM said this afternoon.

In a statement, it referred to reports in the international media in relation to incidents taking place near Lampedusa over the past days.

It said that when Malta was notified of the several cases and the ensuing developing scenarios, it deployed to the search areas in question an aerial surveillance aircraft on a number of flights, as well as two patrol vessels, one to the west and the other to the south-west of Malta.

Communication channels between the Maltese authorities and other rescue cordination centres were always open, and remained so. This could be seen from several fax message exchanges which also referred to phone conversations on the sharing of information.

The AFM said that in the meantime, the 114 people who were rescued by the Italian Coast Guard just out of Lampedusa, were taken ashore at 8.30 p.m. yesterday without problems. This operation was conducted under the aegis of the Palermo rescue centre.

The army said that the French-registered Tunisian fishing-vessel “Lotfi” with 74 rescued individuals, who are not in distress, on board, remained outside Italian territorial waters off Lampedusa.

The migrants were yesterday at 8.10 a.m. refused disembarkation by the Italian authorities, who claimed that the island was not a safe port. Tunisian authorities are also involved in the talks.

The “Lotfi” rescued the migrants from a position 53 nautical miles from Tunisia, 50 NM from Lampedusa and 120NM from Malta.