The armed forces have dodged questions about 25 migrants who are currently stranded at sea in Malta's search and rescue zone.

The migrants spent Thursday night waiting for help that never arrived.

Efforts to speak to an AFM official over questions about the migrants' plea for help proved futile on Friday morning.

"We have no information we can give you so far," was the only reply that Times of Malta could get on the phone.

On Thursday evening, NGO Alarm Phone, which offers a support helpline for stranded migrants, said it alerted the Maltese authorities to a boat with 25 people on board.

It said the migrants left Libya two days ago and are now in Maltese search and rescue waters.

However, the organisation said that Malta was not helpful.

"Authorities are alerted but refuse responsibility or are not reachable at all," it said on Twitter.

On Friday morning, the NGO posted an update, saying that the migrants "survived the night but are very exhausted" and there is still no help in sight.

Just yesterday, another 214 migrants were offered a port of safety in Sicily after they were denied entry to Malta.

On Friday they were disembarked from SEA-EYE 4 in Pozzallo.

All rescued people were tested negative for coronavirus. 

The Church in Malta had appealed to the government not to leave these migrants, and another 70 reported stranded by Alarm Phone on Wednesday, at sea, and had even offered them shelter in its homes.

Armed Forces of Malta had turned down the migrants' request for assistance and said: “Malta is not in a position to provide you with a place of safety.”