A group of 24 illegal immigrants entered Malta early on Saturday morning. The group consisted of seventeen men, four women and three children. It was reported that all the immigrants were in good health.
The boatload was escorted to Haywharf after it was intercepted by an AFM patrol boat 12 miles south of Dingli.
The Police Immigration Section and the Health Department had been alerted at Haywharf Base to receive the immigrants, as well as Commander Officer Detention Service, Lieutenant Colonel Brian Gatt.
Further investigations by the Police are under way.
This was the first arrival of illegal immigrants in several months.
Last week, the Armed Forces of Malta were involved in the rescue operation of some 65 immigrants. The immigrants were on board a rubber dinghy 50 miles off Lampedusa. The search for the immigrants started after the Italian authorities received a rescue call through a phone call. The number of illegal immigrants landing in Lampedusa topped 500 during last weekend alone. Italian media also had reported small landings on the other two Italian islands of Pantelleria and Sardenia.
Read more about this issue on MaltaMedia's special feature: Lanca Gejja u Ohra Sejra
Aqra din l-aħbar bil-Malti:
Grupp ta’ immigranti illegali jiddaħħal f’Malta
minn MaltaMedia News – Marzu 1, 2008
