Sea-Watch 3 heads towards Malta, as stage set for another humanitarian stand-off
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A rescue vessel carrying 47 people saved off the Libyan coast is headed towards Malta after being denied permission to disembark in Lampedusa, with the stage set for a repeat of the humanitarian crisis which played out earlier this month. Sea-Watch 3 has sougSea-Watch 3 heads towards Malta, as stage set for another humanitarian stand-off
A rescue vessel carrying 47 people saved off the Libyan coast is headed towards Malta after being denied permission to disembark in Lampedusa, with the stage set for a repeat of the humanitarian crisis which played out earlier this month. Sea-Watch 3 has sought permission to head towards Malta for shelter, but is still waiting for permission from the authorities to enter Maltese waters. A spokesman said the boat will not enter Maltese waters without permission. He added that the boat did not have adequate coverage from bad weather at Lampedusa. Marine tracking services indicate that the Sea-Watch 3 is heading northwest, towards Malta, after spending several days circling along the fringes of Lampedusa, a tiny Italian island close to the Libyan coast. A spokesman for the Germany-registered NGO said the vessel, which is the only remaining sea rescue vessel operating in the Mediterranean, was effectively stranded. “We have no clearance to enter Lampedusa and worsening weather has forced us to leave the area to look for shelter,” he told the Times of Malta on Wednesday afternoon. Explainer: Malta and Italy's migration tensions - your questions answered A Maltese government... Read more