The group was brought into Haywharf at around 0230CEST on Monday.  

Earlier, at 1726CEST crew aboard a Maltese-registered cargo vessel, Ilyas Efendiyev, told the AFM's Operations Centre at Luqa Barracks that at approximately 30 nautical miles south of Delimara a group of people aboard a boat required assistance. Air Wing AFM's Islander aircraft was directed to area to investigate, and a confirmed the sighting approximately one hour later. Meanwhile a patrol boat P-24 was alerted and sent to the area to investigate and assist as necessary.  

At 2150CEST, the patrol boat made contact with the boatload of 29 illegal immigrants, including two women. Initially, the patrol boat began to escort the boat to mainland Malta, however, due to the change in the weather, it was decided to take the migrants on board the P-24.   

As the patrol craft came alongside, the illegal immigrants charged to one side and capsized the boat. Although 26 of its occupants were plucked to safety by the AFM patrol craft's crew, two fell overboard and drowned.  

Another illegal immigrant also went missing as the boat capsized. Intensive searches were carried out until midnight and continue on Monday morning.     

Throughout Sunday, the AFM's Operations Centre was kept busy with a number of illegal immigrant boat sightings and incidents, about which it liaised closely with neighbouring countries' Rescue Co-ordination Centres.  

At 0920CEST on Sunday, Tunisian military authorities relayed a report from a fishing-vessel called Mohammed Rajeb that a boat with 40 migrants onboard, in position 83 natutical miles south west off Malta requested assistance. Since this was nearer to Lampedusa, the migrants were picked up by an Italian Military Vessel later in the day.  

Various phone calls from the Marsa Open Centre were received alleging that some migrants were in distress in a number of boats in various positions out on the high seas. However, no contact or sightings were made to verify these received reports.  

Later, at 1630CEST Tunis authorities contacted the AFM again and reported that a fishing-vessel called Abdel Kader had been boarded by 58 persons aboard a rubber dinghy.  

Since this was considered as a suspected case of piracy, an AFM Islander was dispatched to the area while AFM offshore patrol-vessel P61, which was in the vicinity, was also dispatched and its marines onboard prepared their ship-boarding and hostage-rescue procedures.  

At around 1840CEST, the AFM was informed that the situation was back to normal since the illegal immigrants had left the boat and were on their dinghy alongside the fishing boat. The 58 illegal immigrants, including 18 females and four children later moved on their own steam towards Lampedusa.

Read more about this issue in MaltaMedia’s Special Feature Lanċa Ġejja u Ohra Sejra.