Ship seeks shelter for 106 rescued migrants in Malta just before Pope's visit

A humanitarian rescue ship said it will be entering Maltese waters on Friday, seeking shelter for 106 people rescued from Libyan waters. just a day before Pope Francis lands on the island. 

The Sea-Eye ship said in a statement it will be appealing to Malta to take the migrants, who left Libya last Sunday. 

The pope has  signalled that migration will be the focus of his visit and will be visiting the Ħal Far laboratory, which houses migrants, on Sunday.

“Perhaps an unequivocal appeal by the Pope to the Maltese government can make Malta, as the closest EU state, feel responsible for 106 people seeking protection,” Sea-Eye chairman Gordon Isler said.

Sea-Eye said it received the distress call on Wednesday afternoon.

After several hours of sailing, the rescue vessel found a grey rubber boat with 74 people, including 22 children aboard.

Fifteen had to be treated in the ship's sick bay. The migrants come from Egypt, Nigeria, Sudan, South Sudan and Syria.

Together with 32 rescued people who were taken over by the Sea-Eye 4 from the container ship Karina on Tuesday, there are now 106 rescued people on board. The container ship had rescued the 32 from a small fishing boat in four-metre...