(ANSA-AP) - MILAN - Forty migrants rescued off the coast of
Libya were successfully transferred Sunday to Maltese military
boats and brought to port, the German rescue group Sea-Eye said,
ending another standoff with the European Union over the fate of
migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Sea. Sea-Eye posted photos
on Twitter showing the migrants being handed over to the Maltese
military. An earlier video showed the migrants cheering at the
news that they would be transferred first to Malta, then to
other EU countries. Malta Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced
Saturday on Twitter that the small EU nation would allow the 40
migrants aboard the Alan Kurdi to disembark after a request from
Germany. He said the EU commission had organized their transfer
to other EU nations. The Alan Kurdi had headed toward Malta
after Italy again refused to open its ports to a humanitarian
rescue ship in the Mediterranean Sea. German Interior Minister
Horse Seehofer said Malta "is sending an important signal of
solidarity," ahead of a meeting planned next month in Malta in
which the interior ministers from Germany, France, Italy and
Malta hope to come up with a way to deal with EU migrant
arrivals by sea and avoid repeated standoffs. Open Arms, another
rescue ship operated by a Spanish aid group, remained at sea
Sunday with 123 migrants who were rescued Friday in two
operations in the central Mediterranean. The aid group said many
showed signs of having suffered violence in Libya and that Italy
has threatened to fine it 50,000 euros ($56,000) if it enters
Italy's national waters.
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