22 July 2006
THE FRANCISCO
Y CATALINA SAGA
The Spanish trawler Francisco y Catalina, rescued fifty-one would be illegal immigrants in the Mediterranean on July 14, after the migrants boat ran into engine trouble. The Maltese authorities refused to let the trawler land the migrants on the island, saying they'd been picked up in a Libyan controlled rescue zone. A week long standoff ensued, with the trawler being kept outside Maltese territorial waters some 24 kilometres (15 miles) south of Malta. A diplomatic solution was eventually found between Malta, Spain and Italy. The migrants were landed in Malta on July 21, and were then immediately flown to Spain and Italy.
All images
© Darrin
J.
Zammit Lupi 2006
All images © Darrin J. Zammit Lupi 2006
Malta - 2006
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© Darrin J. Zammit Lupi 2006