A German rescue ship heading to Malta after being refused entry into Italy has not been given clearance to enter Maltese waters, authorities said on Sunday.
VESSEL NAMED AFTER ALAN KURDI
Italy’s migration policy has led to clashes between NGOs and Italian authorities over rules that effectively close off the country’s ports to their boats. The Alan Kurdi is the latest of several vessels carrying migrants that has faced problems trying to dock in an Italian port in the past couple of weeks.
The German-flagged vessel named after the three-year-old Syrian refugee Alan Kurdi who drowned in the Mediterranean in 2015, decided on Saturday to change course for Malta after a standoff with Rome.
On Sunday, the Maltese armed forces said the government would guide it on the appropriate action to take should the ship enter Maltese waters. The ship, which has 65 migrants on board, is expected to arrive near Malta on Sunday afternoon.
New rules were adopted last month threatening NGO ships entering Italian waters without permission with a fine of up to 50,000 euros and the impounding of their vessels.