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Around 70 rescued migrants arrive in Malta
By Xinhua Published: May 12, 2021 11:37 AM
A detention officer walks past migrants wearing face masks upon their arrival in Senglea, south of Malta, on May 11, 2021. A group of around 70 migrants were brought to Malta after being rescued in south of the island during Monday night following a distress call, a spokesperson from the Ministry for Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement, said on Tuesday.(Photo: Xinhua)

A detention officer walks past migrants wearing face masks upon their arrival in Senglea, south of Malta, on May 11, 2021. A group of around 70 migrants were brought to Malta after being rescued in south of the island during Monday night following a distress call, a spokesperson from the Ministry for Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement, said on Tuesday.(Photo: Xinhua)


 
Migrants are shipped to land by the Armed Forces of Malta, in Senglea, south of Malta, on May 11, 2021. A group of around 70 migrants were brought to Malta after being rescued in south of the island during Monday night following a distress call, a spokesperson from the Ministry for Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement, said on Tuesday.(Photo: Xinhua)

Migrants are shipped to land by the Armed Forces of Malta, in Senglea, south of Malta, on May 11, 2021. A group of around 70 migrants were brought to Malta after being rescued in south of the island during Monday night following a distress call, a spokesperson from the Ministry for Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement, said on Tuesday.(Photo: Xinhua)


 
Migrants are shipped to land by the Armed Forces of Malta, in Senglea, south of Malta, on May 11, 2021. A group of around 70 migrants were brought to Malta after being rescued in south of the island during Monday night following a distress call, a spokesperson from the Ministry for Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement, said on Tuesday.(Photo: Xinhua)

Migrants are shipped to land by the Armed Forces of Malta, in Senglea, south of Malta, on May 11, 2021. A group of around 70 migrants were brought to Malta after being rescued in south of the island during Monday night following a distress call, a spokesperson from the Ministry for Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement, said on Tuesday.(Photo: Xinhua)


 
Migrants are brought back to land by the Armed Forces of Malta, in Senglea, south of Malta, on May 11, 2021. A group of around 70 migrants were brought to Malta after being rescued in south of the island during Monday night following a distress call, a spokesperson from the Ministry for Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement, said on Tuesday.(Photo: Xinhua)

Migrants are brought back to land by the Armed Forces of Malta, in Senglea, south of Malta, on May 11, 2021. A group of around 70 migrants were brought to Malta after being rescued in south of the island during Monday night following a distress call, a spokesperson from the Ministry for Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement, said on Tuesday.(Photo: Xinhua)


 
A group of around 70 migrants were brought to Malta after being rescued in south of the island during Monday night following a distress call, a spokesperson from the Ministry for Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement, said on Tuesday.

The spokesperson gave no further details, including the nationalities of the illegal migrants.

The migrants were swabbed for COVID-19 upon their arrival on land and were escorted to a detention center where they will be kept in isolation until the authorities investigate their provenance and whether they are entitled to asylum, the spokesperson told Xinhua.

Migrant departures from North African shores have increased significantly in recent days, possibly owing to the onset of good weather.

Alarm Phone, an NGO that monitors rescue calls from migrants boats crossing the Mediterranean, on Monday said there were over 400 migrants in five boats in Malta's search and rescue zone.

Last September, Malta's Prime Minister Robert Abela warned President of the European Council Charles Michel during a meeting in Valletta that Malta is at its full capacity and cannot take any more migrants.

Malta insisted that member states on Europe's southern border cannot be left alone to deal with the problem created by illegal migration and other EU countries had to share the burden.