Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1251774
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 27 MAY 2020 'Majority' of migrants on Captain Morgan ships come from 'safe' countries CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 However, the ministry failed to give MaltaToday a more detailed breakdown of the numbers by na- tionality and sex. "There are currently more than 350 migrants on board the Captain Mor- gan, the majority of which are com- ing from countries like Bangladesh, Morocco, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and other West African countries which are considered safe," a spokesperson for the ministry said. She said these countries are not characterised by any particular con- flict and their citizens are generally not granted protection in the EU. The ministry said all women were brought ashore, clarifying that a small group from those rescued last Friday were temporarily kept on one of the vessels and transferred to Malta on Tuesday. "There are no women and children aboard the Captain Morgan vessels," the spokesperson said. Other questions as to whether the migrants being kept offshore have access to medical care remained un- answered. Meanwhile, Malta's Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers (AWAS) has requested access to the three Captain Morgan ships hosting mi- grants. According to a report in the Times of Malta, a source within AWAS, a State agency, said the government had not yet given them the all clear to board the vessels. The source said the lack of access having been granted might indicate that the government could possibly fear a negative assessment of the conditions on board the boats. On Monday, Home Affairs Minis- ter Byron Camilleri disputed claims made by NGO Alarm Phone that some of the migrants had gone on a hunger strike. Camilleri said in Parliament that no information to this effect had been passed on to him. The government has contracted the three tourist vessels to host mi- grants rescued at sea. They are an- chored on Hurd's Bank, just outside territorial waters at 13NM. A video of migrants on board one of the ships published by Lovin Mal- ta yesterday showed the people and crew in jubilant mode, singing 'Viva l-Labour'. Government has said that it will keep migrants on board these vessels until a European solution is found to relocate the people. Some have been on the ships for almost three weeks. Malta closed its ports to migrant arrivals as part of travel restrictions introduced because of the COV- ID-19 pandemic. However, the government is insist- ing the country cannot be left alone to deal with the migration phenom- enon as fighting in Libya intensifies, pushing more people to flee. Malta and Italy have experienced more than a 400% increase in mi- grant arrivals in the first five months, when compared to last year. Over the past few days, the Libyan coastguard was involved in the res- cue of some 500 people in various operations in Libyan waters. These were taken back to Tripoli. The two Captain Morgan vessels on Hurds Bank