Refugees fleeing Libya rejected by Maltese authorities

This is after 169 immigrants were rescued from drowning in Libyan waters and others were rescued inside Maltese waters and boarded other boats.

Open Arms, a Spanish humanitarian ship stated that it is seeking a port to safely disembark 265 migrants as well as its crew.

The charitable organization also added that one of its vessels had boarded 96 migrants found adrift in international waters without life vests. The passengers many of whom were suffering from hypothermia were primarily children and a few adults.

Human traffickers charge a large sum of money from people seeking to flee Libyan shores before boarding them on flimsy and unreliable vessels towards European shores, many of these vessels capsize in the turbulent trip to safety.

Malta and Italy, the two primary destinations for these boats, have often refused to dock rescue boats insisting that many migrants are attempting to reach employment or relatives in Europe.

The Maltese government have recently asked the incoming government of Libya to assist in the flood of migrants leaving Libyan shores and attempting to reach Europe, it has also often insisted other EU members should work to lessen the load on coastal countries like Italy and Malta.