Dozens of migrants trapped on boats chartered by Malta and held at sea outside its territorial waters have launched hunger strikes and even attempted suicide due to their weeks-long confinement.
Alarm Phone, a refugee support group that provides a point of contact for migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Europe and alerts rescue agencies if they are in distress, said migrants had reached out to it with “cries for help”.
The group reported that those on board had insufficient access to healthcare and food, and Alarm Phone called on Malta to end the "inhumane imprisonment" of the migrants.
Authorities in Malta chartered two ships this month from the Sliema-based pleasure cruise operator Captain Morgan to house nearly 200 migrants and refugees rescued at sea by the Maltese military and a private vessel.
Malta said at the start of this month that it will keep the migrants anchored offshore until the European Union can decide how to relocate them. The government has been paying €3,000 (Dh12,000) per day for each vessel.
Valetta has faced harsh criticism from refugee agencies over its treatment of people attempting to reach safety in the Mediterranean island country.
The government has drawn particular ire over its use of the hired vessels to deny migrants the right to claim protection on the islands. Alarm Phone on Tuesday described the ships as “offshore prisons”.
Accusations that Maltese authorities are refusing to rescue migrants in distress at sea resurfaced on Wednesday after video captured at sea appeared to show an armed forces patrol vessel turning away an overloaded boat at gunpoint.
The Armed Forces of Malta allegedly gave more than 100 struggling migrants fuel and provided GPS co-ordinates for nearby Italy after they refused to return to Libya.
The boat was believed to have made it to Malta’s territorial waters, which under international law would oblige rescue, but survivors said the Maltese forces had cited the coronavirus outbreak as the reason why they could not be taken to the island. Malta was quick to close off its ports as the pandemic hit.
The EU’s human rights commissioner earlier this month reminded Malta’s Prime Minister, Robert Abela, of his country’s duty to save lives at sea.
Dunja Mijatovic urged the authorities in Malta to investigate allegations that migrants had been disembarked in Libya despite reaching the apparent safety of Malta’s rescue zone.
And the United Nations voiced its concern over reports of co-ordinated pushbacks of migrant boats across the Mediterranean.
The UN and others have long warned that it is not safe for migrants to be returned to conflict-ravaged Libya, citing continued violence and the appalling conditions inside its migrant detention centres.
The central Mediterranean route remains one of the most perilous crossings for migrants trying to reach Europe but the number of people attempting the journey has risen sharply.
During the first three months of this year, departures from Libya increased four-fold compared with the same period in 2019.
So far this year at least 250 migrants have died on the Mediterranean routes.
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
The years Ramadan fell in May
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AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
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Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.
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The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
