Out of the group of 27, made up mostly of women and children, two female illegal immigrants were winched onboard an Italian Military Mission air-force helicopter and taken to St Luke’s Hospital. The operation was carried out by an Italo-Maltese crew of pilots and rescuers.

The AFM was informed of the case at around 1000CEST on Wednesday when it was contacted by a foreign individual residing in Malta saying that 27 migrants out at sea. On contacting the Somali illegal immigrants, the AFM were told they had been out from the Libyan shores for five days and hadn't seen any sign of land or ships.  

Once the satellite phone-call's co-ordinates were confirmed, the AFM dispatched an Air Wing Islander aircraft to conduct a search.  

At around 1500CEST, a company representative of Azzopardi Fisheries contacted the AFM and confirmed that Italian-registered fishing vessel Esaco, from Mazzara del Valo, Sicily, had a boatload of migrants alongside its towed tuna-pen.  

By the time the Islander aircraft was instructed to proceed to the over the fishing vessel, most of the illegal immigrants had been taken on board of the Esaco. Initial reports indicated that the group was made up of mostly women and children, some in a very exhausted state.  

The AFM confirmed that the illegal immigrants were in the Maltese Search and Rescue Region.

Last week another 27 illegal immigrants spent hours hanging on to tuna pens after their vessel sunk 120 miles south of Malta.

They were eventually assisted by Italian authorities subsequent to their rescue by a Maltese fishing vessel, Budafel.

Read more about this issue on MaltaMedia's special feature Lanċa Ġejja u Oħra Sejra: Malta and its migrations.