Malta struck deals with Germany, France, Portugal and Luxembourg to welcome 64 migrants rescued at sea in early April, the Associated Press reported Saturday.
“All 64 migrants onboard Alan Kurdi will be disembarked and redistributed between Germany, France, Portugal and Luxembourg thanks to effective coordination by the European Commission and Malta,” Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said. “None will remain in Malta, which cannot shoulder this burden alone.”
France agreed to take 20 refugees, according to the country’s Interior Minister Christophe Castaner.
German NGO Sea-Eye rescued the migrants off Libya April 3, on a ship named Alan Kurdi, after a three-year-old Syrian refugee boy who was found dead in 2015 as his family tried to reach Europe.
The rescue ship first tried to land in Italy, but was denied entry, Le Figaro reported. Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has repeated for several months that migrant vessels are not welcome at the country’s ports. Sea-Eye wasn’t allowed to enter Malta’s ports either.
Last year, French NGO’ rescue ship Aquarius had to wait at sea with more than 600 people on board after Italy and Malta did not allow the boat to dock.