(Reuters) Europe’s leading human rights body urged Malta on Thursday to allow disembarkation of more than 400 migrants being held on four former tour group boats just outside the Mediterranean island’s territorial waters.
Some of the migrants have been held at sea for more than a month after being rescued from unseaworthy boats north of Libya from which they set out to reach Europe. Malta, which chartered the tourism boats, insists it cannot let them land because its ports have been closed since the coronavirus pandemic broke out.
“The situation of more than 400 persons kept on private ships just outside Malta’s territorial waters is unsustainable and requires immediate action,” Dunja Mijatović, the Council of Europe commissioner for human rights, said in a statement.
